Structure,Agency and the Sociology of Education: Rescuing analytical dualism

Theorising the interplay of structure and agency is the quintessential focus of sociological endeavour. This paper aims to be part of that continuing endeavour, arguing for a stratified social ontology, where structure and agency are held to be irreducible to each other and causally efficacious, yet necessarily interdependent. It thus aims not to be part of that on-going journey in search of the 'ontological holy grail'. Instead, it offers a way of linking structure and agency which enables the practical education researcher concretely to examine their relative interplay over time. The methodological key to teasing out their relative interplay is held to be analytical dualism. It will be argued that such a methodological device is precluded by Giddens' structuration theory.     

Agency and structure in engineering education: perspectives on educational change in the light of Anthony Giddens' structuration theory

Norwegian higher education has for a long time been strongly committed to individual strategies for development and change. A case study in a third-year basic engineering course at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology supports the idea that social change as a phenomenon should be paid more heed. After discussing this study, the paper turns to the kinds of challenges we face in higher education in general, and how these challenges can be met, theoretically and practically. Anthony Giddens' structuration theory is discussed in this context. It is not an educational theory, but has great potential for analysing situations of change. According to this theory it is the recursive social practices that help us to conceive both stability and change. Hence, structures in Giddens' sense not only represent barriers, but also enable change and development to take place.     

Reconceptualising Comparative and International Education

It is argued that the field of comparative and international education must be fundamentally reconceptualised and redeveloped in ways that better demonstrate its potential to contribute to: (I) the improvement of educational policy and practice world‐wide; and (2) advances in theoretical work relating specifically to education and to the social sciences more generally. Traditional strengths of the field upon which we can build are identified, but the discussion focuses upon the nature, significance and potential of emergent trends and new possibilities. This meta‐analysis is presented to stimulate and widen discussion and to help generate further avenues for future research and development. Particular attention is given to the research orientation and potential of our multidisciplinary field; to the implications of globalisation; to the challenges of post‐modern and post‐colonial perspectives; to new frames of reference and units of analysis; to the significance of culture and context; to new forms of discourse; and to the importance of forging stronger linkages between theory and practice, insiders and outsiders and the comparative and international dimensions of our field.     

Education and schooling

An analysis of the concept of education has been thought necessary by philosophers of education in the past in order to provide a measuring stick against which the genuineness and quality of purportedly educational activities and educated people could be gauged. R.S. Peters and John Wilson have both offered new analysis of education and it is here argued that each fails: Peters' because it will allow too much to count as educational and Wilson's because it will permit too little. The author's position is that the concept of education is too vague to admit of precise characterization, hence further analysis is futile. In its place is offered an analysis of the concept ofschooling. Schooling is less vague and can be divided intotypes of schooling each of which provides criteria for establishing the genuineness and quality of educational activities and educated people.

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Zusammenfassung In der Vergangenheit wurde eine Analyse des Erziehungsbegriffs von Erziehungsphilosophen für nötig gehalten, um einen Maßstab zu schaffen, anhand dessen Echtheit und Güte von beabsichtigten erzieherischen Aktivitäten und der Ausgebildeten abgelesen werden könnte. R.S. Peters und John Wilson haben beide eine neue Erziehungsanalyse vorgeschlagen, und der Autor legt dar, daß eine wie die andere fehlschlagen: Peters Analyse, weil sie erlaube, zu viel zum Erzieherischen zu zählen und Wilsons, weil sie zu wenig gestatte. Der Autor meint, daß der Erziehungsbegriff viel zu ungenau ist, um abgrenzende Beschreibung zuzulassen, und daher weitere Analyse vergeblich ist. Stattdessen wird eine Analyse des BegriffsSchulung vorgeschlagen. Schulung ist weniger ungenau und kann in zwei Schulungstypen unterteilt werden, welche beide Kritieren liefern, zur Feststellung von Echtheit und Güte der erzieherischen Aktivitäten und der Ausgebildeten.

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Résumé On pensait autrefois que l'analyse du concept de l'éducation présentée par les philosophes de l'éducation était nécessaire à l'élaboration d'une échelle de mesure d'après laquelle on pouvait apprécier l'authenticité et la qualité des activités pédagogiques visées et des personnes instruites. R.S. Peters et John Wilson ont présenté l'un et l'autre une nouvelle analyse de l'éducation et l'on démontre dans cet article que les deux échouent: celle de Peters parce qu'elle prend trop en considération l'aspect pédagogique, celle de Wilson pas assez au contraire. L'auteur pense que le concept de l'éducation est trop vague pour permettre une définition précise, ce qui rend tout autre analyse futile. On offre donc à la place une analyse du concept de l'instruction. L'instruction est moins indéfinie et peut être divisée entypes d'instruction, chacun pouvant fournir les critères de détermination de l'authenticité et de la qualité des activités pédagogiques et des personnes instruites.

     

Reconceptualising moderation in asynchronous online discussions using grounded theory

This article reports a grounded theory study of the moderation of asynchronous online discussions, to explore the processes by which tutors in higher education decide when and how to moderate. It aims to construct a theory of e‐moderation based on some key factors which appear to influence e‐moderation. It discusses previous research on the definition and practice of e‐moderation, and then describes the study, which involved four e‐moderators working in two different university contexts. Key themes on e‐moderation, which emerged using a grounded theory approach, are discussed. It proposes a framework for e‐moderation and suggests that as a facilitative activity, it should be sufficiently contained within a ring‐fenced learning arena. Factors outside and inside the ring‐fence that appear to influence e‐moderation and their implications for future theory development and validation are discussed.     

Education and schooling in East Germany

Since the summer of 1989, “peaceful revolutions” started to bring down the communist rule in the states of the Soviet sphere of influence. These revolutions led to a complete transformation of the political, ideological and economic systems. The German Democratic Republic (GDR) was re-structured into Laender which became constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). The socio-political change transformed the whole education system in East Germany. After the first changes between autumn 1989 and spring 1990 under the responsibility of the old regime, there was a broad consensus that a comprehensive reshaping of the educational system was necessary. The transformation process began after re-unification and national and state elections in October, November and December 1990. All elements of the GDR school system were sustainably reshaped. This included policy, law, organization, structure, curricula, and, partially, personnel. This being achieved by the mid-1990s, the educational transformation rapidly showed itself as only preliminary. The most important reason is the drastic decline in the birth rate that is causing serious problems to all parts of the newly established educational systems in East Germany. But as it shows, the current public discourse on outcome and competitiveness of the all-German school system in the aftermath of the PISA study is distracting from all other urgent problems in education and schooling in the new Laender.     

教育社会学的“学术之味”——关于教育社会学的一个学科自觉

教育社会学的研究与发展需要适切的学科自觉和学科意识。基于当下的生存困境,教育社会学必须重审自身的学科形象,明确自身的学术味道。     

Critical race theory in India: theory translation and the analysis of social identities and discrimination in Indian schooling

This article examines ethical and philosophical considerations in theory translation, i.e. translating a theoretical framework from its original place to another national context. Critical race theory (CRT) was developed in the United States through significant struggle in order to analyze everyday racism. Marginalized groups have historically shared postcolonial critiques, conceptualizations of social justice, and methods for mass resistance across national borders. Through an analysis of the literature on CRT and contemporary India, this article explores whether CRT’s principles and methodology can be employed to research discrimination within India’s school system. Can CRT be sensitive to the differences in context and still retain its philosophical center? This analysis reveals that CRT may be particularly helpful in highlighting the educational discrimination experienced by Dalits via use of CRT’s social construction thesis to conceptualize caste and intersectionality to understand caste’s relationship to gender and class.     

Competition and curriculum diversity in local schooling markets: theory and evidence

Amongst the factors, which have motivated market-based reforms of state schooling was a desire to increase choice and diversity. It has been claimed, on the basis of conventional economic analysis, that increasing competitive pressures on schools would promote greater curriculum innovation and diversity. We critically assess both the economic rationale and empirical support for this proposition, concentrating largely upon UK experience. Our analysis suggests that market-based reforms can initially create pressures which increase curriculum conformity in local schooling markets. Over time there are likely to be greater incentives to innovate and diversify, but these are greatest for schools who are least able to resource them.     

Durkheim and the Sociology of Education in Britain

National styles of ‘doing sociology’ exist, all celebrating respective founding fathers’. Timid, British pragmatism has tended to misrecognise Durkheim ever since our barely transcended early 20th century origins. In relatively low‐status teacher education, even when sociology of education was popularly taught from the late sixties through the seventies, Durkheim was presented as a conservative anti‐hero. The only important exception to this condition was the teaching and research of Basil Bernstein, unfortunately buried by the excesses both of ‘New Directions’ and the neo‐Marxisms which recoiled from it in the seventies. His always numerous and active group of research students became the main carriers of his voice. There are now some signs that failure strewn, maligned and substantially dispersed sociology of education is evincing fresh interest in his and Durkheim's work. Bernstein's interest, since the middle 1950s, has been the study of symbolic systems which function as pedagogic relays. He alone in modern sociology has attempted to move from the seconds that make up the classroom moment, through institutional to societal power structures, in a way that not only insists on conceptual consistency but thinks it not worth having unless it produces both models and empirical markers.     

教育是什么:一种教育社会学的观点

“教育是什么”历来就是一个争论不休的问题。本文从分析常见的几种关于“教育”的定义入手，进而描述了一种“新”教育社会学的观点。文章认为，对于“教育本质”的探索，应该跳出教育体系的狭小圈子，而将其视为一种社会建构的实体；惟其如此，我们才能够更深刻地把握“教育”的内涵。