Explaining inequality? Rational action theories of educational decision making

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.