Module code: SAC6023-B
Educational Transitions examines historical and contemporary systems of education from a sociological perspective. Education systems are main instruments of socialisation, teaching pupils and students how to navigate a complex social world. They are also, paradoxically, a principle means of improving social mobility even as they tend to reproduce and reinforce social inequalities. These issues have only become more pronounced in the age of digital technologies and the covid-19 pandemic. While examining a range of social-scientific theories on education, students will reflect on the ways in which the structures of education mirror the cultural, social, and political structures of the UK and evaluate, critically, the role that educational structures play in promoting and inhibiting social mobility. They will also examine critical shifts in educational provision - including the increase in distance-learning technologies and the rising popularity of home-schooling and reflect upon how these changes affect the role of education as a socialising agent. Download the PDF for SAC6023-B_2025_6.pdf