Exploration of Theoretical Forms and Considerations in Sociology of Education (1960-1990)

During the ‘60s and ‘70s social inequalities are obviously the domineering issue in Sociology of Education. The concept of school failure is spread across discussions associated with school. A significant part of the school population has difficulties and in short time they withdraw, bearing the stigma of the “incapable”. This period is characterized by numerable works, namely creating empirical data bases and statistical information systems. The role of school in society is the dominant issue of discussion, as the social factors of school career along with the relationship between education and access to social, economic and professional hierarchy are determined.

After the 2nd World War and within a system of unequal education, the increasing school population was conducive to directing researchers to emphasize quantitative methods in order to describe the phenomena under exploration. They study social inequalities of failure and school course. Data collections networks are established to study and investigate both quantitative and qualitative transformations of the school system. These statistic tools ought to ensure knowledge in the education system and contribute to processing educational policies.

Sociology of Education, throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, is full of macro-sociological analyses. Functionalist and Marxist sociologists seek the causes of the changing education in the broader society without taking into consideration actions and social relations of people participating in the education system.