| Abstract: | This paper will argue that sociology has neglected special education as a central focus of its concern. An attempt is thus made to suggest what such a sociology might look like drawing upon positivist, functionalist, conflict and neo‐Marxisl paradigms to examine the history and development of special education. Precisely because of this neglect, these paradigms themselves prove to be inadequate and material from the sociologies of deviance and social policy is consequently drawn upon. Thus it is finally argued that special education can be analysed within broader structural considerations of the issue of social control rather than from a humanitarian perspective, which has been the case up to now. |
