Theoretical notes on the sociological analysis of school reform networks

Nearly two decades ago, Ladwig outlined the theoretical and methodological implications of Bourdieu’s concept of the social field for sociological analyses of educational policy and school reform. The current analysis extends this work to consider the sociological import of one of the most ubiquitous forms of educational reform found around the planet: school reform networks. On the one hand, this analysis highlights the extent to which schooling is composed of multiple, co-existing social fields, which offer school reform networks ample leverage points for change. On the other hand, the degree to which reform networks hope to realise their ambitions fundamentally depends on their capacity to leverage the transferability of capitals among those social fields that govern the daily practices of schooling.