Education and Society: Issues and Explanations in the Sociology of Education

This new book is a lively and highly accessible introduction to the sociology of education. Written in a clear and comprehensible way, it introduces students to the key theoretical perspectives and conceptual frameworks in the sociology of education, and provides a guide to contemporary issues and current debates. The book reviews the ways in which sociology contributes to our understanding of the relationship between education and society. The sociology of education is treated in historical depth, dealing with the classic thinkers as well as with contemporary approaches and issues. Moore thereby situates current debates in the sociology of education within a broader framework of social science and social theory. There is an extensive treatment of Durkheim and of the work of Bourdieu and Bernstein, as well as discussion of post-modernism. The book covers the macro relationships between education and the economy and state and the micro processes of the classroom and school. A central concern is with inequalities of class, gender and race and their treatment by different sociological perspectives. Education and Society will be an essential text for students of sociology and education.