ABSTRACT
Three types of theories explain social or ‘ethnic’ group differences and inequalities in educational achievements. The first type of theory argues that the difference in educational achievement is the consequence of general social class inequality in society (Mayer 2001). According to this theory, the educational differences in countries like Sweden are likely to be lower than in countries with larger class differences. The second type of theory underlines the importance of economic development (modernisation) for reducing educational differences and argues that the importance of socioeconomic background as the principal explanatory factor is declining, and that in developed north-western countries, ascribed factors (such as social class background, race, ethnicity and gender) become less important over time. The third type of theory emphasises the organisation of the educational system and argues that ‘social selection inherent in high tracked systems is biased towards privileged groups’ (Marks 2005: 485). In this case, school reforms in Sweden, which reduced educational differentiation, should reduce inequality in the educational achievement of children of different social groups.
