This book, first published in 1985, provides a clear readable account of the principal sociological approaches to education. It is organised around the three main sociological perspectives on education: the Durkheimian and Functionalist, the Marxist and the Interpretative.

List of Tables and Figures; Preface; 1. Introduction; Part One: Durkheim and the Functionalist Tradition; 2. Émile Durkheim 3. The Modern Durkheimians 4. The Functionalist Approach to Education 5. An Assessment of the Functionalist Approach; Part Two: The Marxist Perspective; 6. The Marxist Perspective – An Introduction 7. The Marxist Analysis of Education: Theories of Direct Reproduction 8. The Marxist Analysis of Education: Resistance, Relative Autonomy 9. An Evaluation of the Marxist Perspective; Part Three: The Interpretive Approach; 10. The Micro Interpretive Approach – An Introduction 11. Micro Interpretive Approaches: Some Studies of Teachers and Pupils 12. The ‘New’ Sociology of Education 13. Conclusion: The Weberian Perspective; Bibliography; Index