Problems of Sociology in Education

The author examines some of the major problems that arise in the sociology of education. It also sheds light on the methods which are frequently employed in studying them. The problems in question relate to two aspects of the level of education which people attain. The first of these, and the one which most studies and data take into account, is the level of education in the ordinary sense of the word, meaning that which is expressed in terms of formal qualifications. This book, however, is concerned with the "invisible" or real level of education, that is, the level of composite knowledge which individuals actually possess but which has no formal expression. Professor Girod sets out to show that formal and real levels of evaluation often bear little or no relation to one other and demonstrates their respective differences in evolution. In addition, he examines the problem of the inequality of opportunity from the point of view of access to education, both in its real and formal aspects. It is to this problem that the methods in this book relate as they consist of techniques for differentiating between the effects of the various factors contributing to these inequalities. The book, therefore, presents a formidable challenge to traditional views of education and offers fresh perspectives on its study.