In this article we assess the literature on cultural explanations for ethno-racial differences in K-12 schooling and academic performance. Some cultural arguments problematically define certain ethno-racial identities and cultures as subtractive from the goal of academic mobility while defining the ethnic cultures and identities of others as…

After the Second World War, the field of cultural anthropology underwent an explosive development. Sociologists, psychologists, educators, and economists all added to the increasing interest in a discipline which began by assuming that culture is the foundation of social structures and that every institution manifests itself as a system of…

Recent changes in policy and research regarding immigrants and schools in France are examined in this paper. The first part discusses changes in France's social and political context--in the immigrant population and in educational policies. The second section reviews theoretical explanations of immigrant school performance with regard to social…

The sociology of education is concerned with the study of groups of people within educational institutions. This book analyzes the sociology of American education from a historical viewpoint. The chapters in the book derive from social theory, the sociology of organizations, the sociology of work and professions, and the study of class, race, and…

Constructing an arch of social dreaming means developing a politics of difference that actively contests the devaluation of persons relegated as "others." In this connection, features of critical pedagogy, the role it plays in the struggle against current neoconservatism, and the importance of language are considered. (SLD)

Discusses the overlooked problems of privilege and oppression inherent in the American educational system. Argues that a national political commitment to a truly democratic society is required before inequity can be eliminated in education and all social institutions. (FMW)