Edited by Fabrizio Bernardi, Department of Political and Social Sciences, European University Institute and Gabriele Ballarino, Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, Italy

'In Education, Occupation and Social Origin: A Comparative Analysis of the Transmission of Socio-Economic Inequalities, sociologists Fabrizio Bernardi and Gabriele Ballarino probe the education-based meritocracy (EBM) theory where education becomes the social equalizer. This idea has long permeated different circles but this comparative study takes a look at the social origin - education - outcome triangle and sets out to better understand the ''intergenerational transmission of advantage'' in fourteen developed counties. . . . Bernardi and Ballarino have done a fine job expanding the conversation with regards to Horace Mann s age-old saying that education is the great equalizer. This book has a thought provoking and relevant thesis . . . I do recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in learning more about education policy, social educational inequalities, and the history of social mobility. While this book is clearly meant for an academic audience, its message could and should strike a chord with a general readership.'--Matthew Campbell, International Social Science Review 'Is education the great social equalizer - do individuals with similar levels of education have equal life-chances, especially in labour markets and workplaces? It is widely supposed that in modern societies this is the case. But the research papers brought together in this outstanding collection, and the editors' penetrating commentaries, call the conventional wisdom into serious doubt. Essential reading for all social scientists and for anyone interested in the leading social policy and political issues of the present day.'--John Goldthorpe, Nuffield College, Oxford'All in all, Bernardi and Ballarino's book is highly recommended. It achieves what they set out to do, lls a gap in the literature on intergenerational socio-economic association among individuals with the same level of schooling and expands our understanding of the intergenerational transmission of advan-tage. The arguments presented in this book act as a source of reference for an academic audience and public policymakers focused on education initiatives. The clarity of its analysis will benefit students and the general readership alike.'--Progress in Development Studies

• Contents:1. Introduction: Education as the Great Equalizer: A Theoretical FrameworkFabrizio Bernardi and Gabriele Ballarino 2. Inequality of Educational Returns in France. Changes in the Effect of Education and Social Background on Occupational CareersLouis-André Vallet, Camille Peugny and Milan Bouchet-Valat3. Legacies of the Past: Social Origin, Educational Attainment and Labour-market Outcomes in GermanyMichael Grätz and Reinhard Pollack4. Inequality in Educational Returns in HungaryTamás Keller and Péter Robért 5. Changes in the Stratification Process in Israel, 1995-2008Carmel Blank, Eyal Bar-Haim and Yossi Shavit6. Social Background and Education in Occupational Attainment in ItalyGabriele Ballarino, Carlo Barone and Nazareno Panichella7. Inequality in Educational Returns in JapanYoshimichi Sato and Shin Arita 8. Social Origin and Inequality in Educational Returns in the Dutch Labour MarketJochen Tolsma and Maarten H.J. Wolbers 9. Direct Social Origin Effects and Educational Returns in NorwayArne Mastekaasa10. The Effects of Parental Social Background on Labour Market Outcomes in RussiaAlexey Bessudnov11. Is Education the Great Equalizer for the Chances of Social Mobility in Spain?Fabrizio Bernardi 12. The Direct and Indirect Effects of Social Background on Occupational Positions in Sweden: New Evidence on Old QuestionsErik Bihagen and Juho Härkönen 13. Inequalities in Returns to Education in SwitzerlandFrancesco Laganà14. Social Origin, Education and Socio-economic Inequalities: Trends in the United KingdomLeen Vandecasteele15. Education and the Intergenerational Transmission of Advantage in the USFlorencia Torche16. The Intergenerational Transmission of Inequality and Education in 14 Countries: A ComparisonGabriele Ballarino and Fabrizio BernardiIndex

Edited by Fabrizio Bernardi, Department of Political and Social Sciences, European University Institute and Gabriele Ballarino, Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, Italy

'In Education, Occupation and Social Origin: A Comparative Analysis of the Transmission of Socio-Economic Inequalities, sociologists Fabrizio Bernardi and Gabriele Ballarino probe the education-based meritocracy (EBM) theory where education becomes the social equalizer. This idea has long permeated different circles but this comparative study takes a look at the social origin - education - outcome triangle and sets out to better understand the ''intergenerational transmission of advantage'' in fourteen developed counties. . . . Bernardi and Ballarino have done a fine job expanding the conversation with regards to Horace Mann s age-old saying that education is the great equalizer. This book has a thought provoking and relevant thesis . . . I do recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in learning more about education policy, social educational inequalities, and the history of social mobility. While this book is clearly meant for an academic audience, its message could and should strike a chord with a general readership.'--Matthew Campbell, International Social Science Review 'Is education the great social equalizer - do individuals with similar levels of education have equal life-chances, especially in labour markets and workplaces? It is widely supposed that in modern societies this is the case. But the research papers brought together in this outstanding collection, and the editors' penetrating commentaries, call the conventional wisdom into serious doubt. Essential reading for all social scientists and for anyone interested in the leading social policy and political issues of the present day.'--John Goldthorpe, Nuffield College, Oxford'All in all, Bernardi and Ballarino's book is highly recommended. It achieves what they set out to do, lls a gap in the literature on intergenerational socio-economic association among individuals with the same level of schooling and expands our understanding of the intergenerational transmission of advan-tage. The arguments presented in this book act as a source of reference for an academic audience and public policymakers focused on education initiatives. The clarity of its analysis will benefit students and the general readership alike.'--Progress in Development Studies

• Contents:1. Introduction: Education as the Great Equalizer: A Theoretical FrameworkFabrizio Bernardi and Gabriele Ballarino 2. Inequality of Educational Returns in France. Changes in the Effect of Education and Social Background on Occupational CareersLouis-André Vallet, Camille Peugny and Milan Bouchet-Valat3. Legacies of the Past: Social Origin, Educational Attainment and Labour-market Outcomes in GermanyMichael Grätz and Reinhard Pollack4. Inequality in Educational Returns in HungaryTamás Keller and Péter Robért 5. Changes in the Stratification Process in Israel, 1995-2008Carmel Blank, Eyal Bar-Haim and Yossi Shavit6. Social Background and Education in Occupational Attainment in ItalyGabriele Ballarino, Carlo Barone and Nazareno Panichella7. Inequality in Educational Returns in JapanYoshimichi Sato and Shin Arita 8. Social Origin and Inequality in Educational Returns in the Dutch Labour MarketJochen Tolsma and Maarten H.J. Wolbers 9. Direct Social Origin Effects and Educational Returns in NorwayArne Mastekaasa10. The Effects of Parental Social Background on Labour Market Outcomes in RussiaAlexey Bessudnov11. Is Education the Great Equalizer for the Chances of Social Mobility in Spain?Fabrizio Bernardi 12. The Direct and Indirect Effects of Social Background on Occupational Positions in Sweden: New Evidence on Old QuestionsErik Bihagen and Juho Härkönen 13. Inequalities in Returns to Education in SwitzerlandFrancesco Laganà14. Social Origin, Education and Socio-economic Inequalities: Trends in the United KingdomLeen Vandecasteele15. Education and the Intergenerational Transmission of Advantage in the USFlorencia Torche16. The Intergenerational Transmission of Inequality and Education in 14 Countries: A ComparisonGabriele Ballarino and Fabrizio BernardiIndex

Edited by Fabrizio Bernardi, Department of Political and Social Sciences, European University Institute and Gabriele Ballarino, Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, Italy

'In Education, Occupation and Social Origin: A Comparative Analysis of the Transmission of Socio-Economic Inequalities, sociologists Fabrizio Bernardi and Gabriele Ballarino probe the education-based meritocracy (EBM) theory where education becomes the social equalizer. This idea has long permeated different circles but this comparative study takes a look at the social origin - education - outcome triangle and sets out to better understand the ''intergenerational transmission of advantage'' in fourteen developed counties. . . . Bernardi and Ballarino have done a fine job expanding the conversation with regards to Horace Mann s age-old saying that education is the great equalizer. This book has a thought provoking and relevant thesis . . . I do recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in learning more about education policy, social educational inequalities, and the history of social mobility. While this book is clearly meant for an academic audience, its message could and should strike a chord with a general readership.'--Matthew Campbell, International Social Science Review 'Is education the great social equalizer - do individuals with similar levels of education have equal life-chances, especially in labour markets and workplaces? It is widely supposed that in modern societies this is the case. But the research papers brought together in this outstanding collection, and the editors' penetrating commentaries, call the conventional wisdom into serious doubt. Essential reading for all social scientists and for anyone interested in the leading social policy and political issues of the present day.'--John Goldthorpe, Nuffield College, Oxford'All in all, Bernardi and Ballarino's book is highly recommended. It achieves what they set out to do, lls a gap in the literature on intergenerational socio-economic association among individuals with the same level of schooling and expands our understanding of the intergenerational transmission of advan-tage. The arguments presented in this book act as a source of reference for an academic audience and public policymakers focused on education initiatives. The clarity of its analysis will benefit students and the general readership alike.'--Progress in Development Studies

• Contents:1. Introduction: Education as the Great Equalizer: A Theoretical FrameworkFabrizio Bernardi and Gabriele Ballarino 2. Inequality of Educational Returns in France. Changes in the Effect of Education and Social Background on Occupational CareersLouis-André Vallet, Camille Peugny and Milan Bouchet-Valat3. Legacies of the Past: Social Origin, Educational Attainment and Labour-market Outcomes in GermanyMichael Grätz and Reinhard Pollack4. Inequality in Educational Returns in HungaryTamás Keller and Péter Robért 5. Changes in the Stratification Process in Israel, 1995-2008Carmel Blank, Eyal Bar-Haim and Yossi Shavit6. Social Background and Education in Occupational Attainment in ItalyGabriele Ballarino, Carlo Barone and Nazareno Panichella7. Inequality in Educational Returns in JapanYoshimichi Sato and Shin Arita 8. Social Origin and Inequality in Educational Returns in the Dutch Labour MarketJochen Tolsma and Maarten H.J. Wolbers 9. Direct Social Origin Effects and Educational Returns in NorwayArne Mastekaasa10. The Effects of Parental Social Background on Labour Market Outcomes in RussiaAlexey Bessudnov11. Is Education the Great Equalizer for the Chances of Social Mobility in Spain?Fabrizio Bernardi 12. The Direct and Indirect Effects of Social Background on Occupational Positions in Sweden: New Evidence on Old QuestionsErik Bihagen and Juho Härkönen 13. Inequalities in Returns to Education in SwitzerlandFrancesco Laganà14. Social Origin, Education and Socio-economic Inequalities: Trends in the United KingdomLeen Vandecasteele15. Education and the Intergenerational Transmission of Advantage in the USFlorencia Torche16. The Intergenerational Transmission of Inequality and Education in 14 Countries: A ComparisonGabriele Ballarino and Fabrizio BernardiIndex