Realist social theorising and the emergence of state educational systems

Margaret Archer has presented a historical-sociological theory of the emergence of state educational systems which accounts for the way such systems have emerged in all Western countries, albeit at different points in history, and quite different stages of social development. The societies in which state educational systems emerged varied a great deal with regard to their political system, degree of industrialisation, urbanisation, etc. ¹ Thus, Archer’s theory diverges from both correspondence theory and functionalist theories in claiming that education cannot be seen as a mere reflection of the larger society of which it is a part, nor can it be assumed that it is always harmoniously integrated with its general social environment.