Handbook of the Sociology of Education - Hardcover

by Maureen T. Hallinan (Editor)

The aim of the Handbook of Sociology of Education is to present the most theoretically grounded and empirically rigorous sociological analyses of schools to date. The authors are distinguished researchers in the field. Their contributions to the Handbook offer major theoretical perspec- tives on the schooling process and describe significant empirical studies of schools and their effects on individuals and society. The research presented in the Handbook is built on three fundamental tenets of sociol- ogy. First, the authors adopt the perspective that schools are a central institution in society. An understanding of the function of schooling in social life is enhanced by viewing schools as interrelated with other societal institutions. The study of how the context of schooling influ- ences education processes is critical to an understanding of school outcomes. Rather than being determined solely by ascribed and achieved characteristics, an individual's cognitive and social development are influenced heavily by the structures and networks in which the individual is embedded. Communities, families, schools, and social groups are critical ele- ments in the educative process. By viewing the school as a societal institution and highlighting the interaction between context and individual behavior, the Handbook chapters provide a broader and deeper understanding of the determinants of learning in contemporary society. The second sociological insight that guides the research in the Handbook is that the school is a social system.

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Handbook of the Sociology of Education

School is one of the first institutions that an individual encounters in the socialization process. A child's formative years are in part shaped by the educational system as well as other students, teachers, principals, and parents. The individual is socialized in this smaller society and prepared to move into adulthood and society at large.

This seminal research work is built on three fundamental tenets of sociology: the school is a central institution in society; the school is a social system; and social events depend on the interaction of macro- and micro-level processes. The Handbook is divided into the following sections:

1. Theoretical and Methodological Orientations
2. Development and Expansion of Education
3. The Study of Access to Schooling
4. The Study of School Organization
5. The Study of School Outcomes
6. Policy Implications of Research in the Sociology of Education

The Handbook of the Sociology of Education provides a comprehensive overview of the field of education from a sociological perspective. Experts in this area present theoretical and empirical research on major educational issues and analyze the social processes that govern schooling, as well as the role of schools in and their impact on contemporary society. The book is a major reference work for social scientists, graduate students, and educators who want an overview of the field.