Jeanne Ballantine is Emerita Professor of Sociology at Wright State University. She has taught at several four-year colleges over her career, as well as in international programs in universities abroad. Dr. Ballantine has written several textbooks in addition to this one; her most recent is the new edition of Our Social World: An Introduction to Sociology (SAGE 2019). In her distinguished career, Dr. Ballantine has been awarded by the American Sociological Association and the North Central Sociological Association for her outstanding contributions to teaching and her commitment and impact on the field of sociology. Jenny Stuber is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of North Florida. She is the author of Aspen and the American Dream, forthcoming in 2021 (University of California Press), and Exploring Inequality: A Sociological Approach (Oxford University Press 2015). With co-author Jeanne Ballantine and Joan Z. Spade, Dr. Stuber is also co-editor of the reader Schools and Society (SAGE 2017). Her research has appeared in Sociological Forum, The Journal of Contemporary Sociology, The International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and Teaching in Higher Education.Judson G. Everitt is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Loyola University Chicago. His book, Lesson Plans: The Institutional Demands of Becoming a Teacher (Rutgers University Press 2018) chronicles the complexities and dilemmas teacher candidates confront in their training. His research has appeared in Symbolic Interaction, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, as well as in an edited volume on teachers’ work, entitled Assessing Teacher Quality (Teachers College Press 2012).

"Ballantine, Stuber, and Everitt’s Sociology of Education textbook examines education through a systemic description of how structural, cultural, and individual factors intersect to shape educational design for communities and their future as well as individual expectations and learning outcomes. Theoretically progressive, the authors’ go beyond traditional sociological descriptions and innovatively include post-modern, feminists, and critical perspectives that enable bottom-up perspectives and margin-to-center discussions. Over many years of use in both online and traditional courses the book has always provided an innovative ‘out-of-the-box’ teaching—and learning alternative to sociological descriptions of education."Jesse Garcia, Lamar University"I have used this book since its first edition and it remains one of the top comprehensive texts on the market in sociology of education. The 'open system model' provides a clear context for a sociological analysis of schooling that is accessible to students and yet complex enough to lay the ground work for the extensive education policy discussions that fill each chapter. Since my course focuses on inequalities in schooling, this edition is even stronger in that gender and racial disparities are given full treatment in separate chapters and are not collapsed into one as in the past. This is my go-to resource whenever I address educational issues in any sociology course."William A. Mirola, Marian University

• Preface Supplementary Material List of Abbreviations Prologue 1 Sociology Of Education: A Unique Perspective For Understanding Schools 2 Conflicting Functions And Processes In Education: What Makes The System Work? 3 Equality Of Educational Opportunity?: A Look At Social Class Differences And Inequalities 4 Equality Of Educational Opportunity?: A Look At Racial And Ethnic Differences And Inequalities 5 Equality Of Educational Opportunity?: A Look At Gender Differences And Inequalities 6 The School As An Organization 7 Conflict Or Cooperation?: Formal Roles Within The Educational System 8 Students: The Core Of The School 9 The Informal System And The "Hidden Curriculum": How "Invisible" Forces Impact Educational Experiences 10 The Education System And The Environment: A Symbiotic Relationship? 11 The System Of Higher Education 12 Education Systems Around The World: A Comparative View 13 Educational Movements And Reform Index

Jeanne Ballantine is Emerita Professor of Sociology at Wright State University. She has taught at several four-year colleges over her career, as well as in international programs in universities abroad. Dr. Ballantine has written several textbooks in addition to this one; her most recent is the new edition of Our Social World: An Introduction to Sociology (SAGE 2019). In her distinguished career, Dr. Ballantine has been awarded by the American Sociological Association and the North Central Sociological Association for her outstanding contributions to teaching and her commitment and impact on the field of sociology. Jenny Stuber is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of North Florida. She is the author of Aspen and the American Dream, forthcoming in 2021 (University of California Press), and Exploring Inequality: A Sociological Approach (Oxford University Press 2015). With co-author Jeanne Ballantine and Joan Z. Spade, Dr. Stuber is also co-editor of the reader Schools and Society (SAGE 2017). Her research has appeared in Sociological Forum, The Journal of Contemporary Sociology, The International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and Teaching in Higher Education.Judson G. Everitt is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Loyola University Chicago. His book, Lesson Plans: The Institutional Demands of Becoming a Teacher (Rutgers University Press 2018) chronicles the complexities and dilemmas teacher candidates confront in their training. His research has appeared in Symbolic Interaction, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, as well as in an edited volume on teachers’ work, entitled Assessing Teacher Quality (Teachers College Press 2012).

"Ballantine, Stuber, and Everitt’s Sociology of Education textbook examines education through a systemic description of how structural, cultural, and individual factors intersect to shape educational design for communities and their future as well as individual expectations and learning outcomes. Theoretically progressive, the authors’ go beyond traditional sociological descriptions and innovatively include post-modern, feminists, and critical perspectives that enable bottom-up perspectives and margin-to-center discussions. Over many years of use in both online and traditional courses the book has always provided an innovative ‘out-of-the-box’ teaching—and learning alternative to sociological descriptions of education."Jesse Garcia, Lamar University"I have used this book since its first edition and it remains one of the top comprehensive texts on the market in sociology of education. The 'open system model' provides a clear context for a sociological analysis of schooling that is accessible to students and yet complex enough to lay the ground work for the extensive education policy discussions that fill each chapter. Since my course focuses on inequalities in schooling, this edition is even stronger in that gender and racial disparities are given full treatment in separate chapters and are not collapsed into one as in the past. This is my go-to resource whenever I address educational issues in any sociology course."William A. Mirola, Marian University

• Preface Supplementary Material List of Abbreviations Prologue 1 Sociology Of Education: A Unique Perspective For Understanding Schools 2 Conflicting Functions And Processes In Education: What Makes The System Work? 3 Equality Of Educational Opportunity?: A Look At Social Class Differences And Inequalities 4 Equality Of Educational Opportunity?: A Look At Racial And Ethnic Differences And Inequalities 5 Equality Of Educational Opportunity?: A Look At Gender Differences And Inequalities 6 The School As An Organization 7 Conflict Or Cooperation?: Formal Roles Within The Educational System 8 Students: The Core Of The School 9 The Informal System And The "Hidden Curriculum": How "Invisible" Forces Impact Educational Experiences 10 The Education System And The Environment: A Symbiotic Relationship? 11 The System Of Higher Education 12 Education Systems Around The World: A Comparative View 13 Educational Movements And Reform Index