This text provides a selective review of major topics in the sociology of education with special attention given to key issues and questions that sociologists have examined when studying education and schools. It is an introduction, not a comprehensive guide, to work that has been conducted mainly in Britain. The focus is on empirical material,…

American schools might improve their performance by emulating certain successful businesses that, while distinctly American, have much in common with Japanese corporations. William Ouchi attributes Japanese business success to worker involvement; the typical Japanese corporation, he asserts, unifies its employees around a corporate philosophy…