ABSTRACT
The academic study of education and society has always suffered from something of an identity crisis. Part of the problem is that education itself is a nebulous set of concepts that traverse social practices, political debates, moral issues and social theories. With reference to the study of education, perhaps a more applied set of academic categories might be more productive in reflecting the importance of context in the field, for example: education policy, pedagogy and sociology of education. With reference to ‘what’, sociology of education is distinctive because it focuses on the external conditions that affect educational outcomes. Specifically, education has a tendency to be highly ritualistic with a strong emphasis on routine and symbolism that is, for the most part, easily identifiable. Wider sociological debates centring on the ‘cultural turn’ take on a unique significance in the study of education.
