ABSTRACT
The elitist concept of access and participation has been re-examined and the manipulation of funding mechanisms has allowed for greater state intervention. Funding mechanisms have shifted from block grants to per capita funding allowing for a greater degree of state intervention in the sector. The populist agenda of the Thatcherite governments included the politics of choice and saw the introduction of a 'quasi market in education'. The market has continued to be a major influence for successive governments shaping and driving education policy in Britain. Research in higher education has seen the focus related to structuralist issues and the impact of government reforms on the management and organization of the sector. Social structures serve to define boundaries of both knowledge and experience and clear links can be made between social class and differential access to information and social provisions such as education. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
