ABSTRACT
The purpose of this collection of papers is to present evidence of the contemporary contribution of research in the sociology of education to the understanding of education and of society. The output of research in the sociology of education is probably greater and certainly as great as that in any field of sociology. In the past decade support from the research foundations has been generous and the number of individual studies has increased rapidly. Yet the contribution of this output has been minimized by a concentration of attention on a limited range of widely quoted studies; by a theoretical orientation that is implicit rather than explicit and, at times, an excessive and distorting use of its findings by pressure groups. Notwithstanding these problems, however, the potential contribution of findings from research in the sociology of education is considerable, and increasingly decisions on such matters as school organization, teachers' roles, curriculum content and the like are made in the belief that they are supported, or at least legitimated, by sociologically oriented research. The fact that such legitimation may be assumed rather than actual presents a further justification for the publication of this collection which, it is hoped, will help to reduce the uncertainties and uninformedness about the nature and standing of research in the field and draw attention to the complex interrelationship between educational research and policy. It is not a guide for those who wish to produce educational research; but rather a guide for those who seek access to the intellectual and emotional core of research and, in so doing, wish to use it critically.
