Explaining inequality? Rational action theories of educational decision making

Thompson, Ron (2016) Explaining inequality? Rational action theories of educational decision making. In: Access to Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges. Research into Higher Education . Routledge, London, UK. ISBN 9781138924116

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the rational action perspective on social class differences in educational attainment. In this context, rational action theories derive from the distinction between the primary and secondary effects of social stratification made by Raymond Boudon, and seek to understand educational inequality through the decisions made by individuals and their evaluations of the costs and benefits associated with different educational routes. The chapter aims to evaluate the ability of these theories to account for observed patterns of stability and change in educational inequalities, particularly in higher education, and to highlight some of the reasons why the rational action approach has received relatively little attention within the sociology of education. Methodologically, the chapter presents a conceptual analysis based on critical appraisal of key theoretical literature and an evaluation of a range of empirical studies which aim to test rational action models of educational decision making.

Item Type:	Book Chapter
Additional Information:	This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Access to Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges on 25 November 2016, available online: http://www.routledge.com/Access-to-Higher-Education-Theoretical-perspectives-and-contemporary-challenges/Mountford-Zimdars-Harrison/p/book/9781138924116.
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) L Education > L Education (General)
Schools:	School of Education and Professional Development
Related URLs:	Author
Depositing User:	Ronald Thompson
Date Deposited:	13 Dec 2016 15:04
Last Modified:	27 Mar 2018 16:30
URI:	http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/30337

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