A sociology for education : ethical reflexivity as intellectual practice

Abstract

The invitation to review this book reached me, quite coincidentally, when the Department of Education Studies I belong to was trying to identify a suitable sociology of education textbook that could be used with postgraduate student teachers. From my experience of 20-odd years of teaching educational sociology to initial and in-service teachers, I have learnt that it is not always easy to convince practitioners of the value of using a sociological lens in approaching education, with many finding it easier to see the relevance of psychology rather than any of the other disciplinary frameworks and tools we encourage them to explore and use. There are many reasons for that, not least the penchant for some social scientists to write in the most inaccessible way possible, choosing difficult words when simple ones will do, and equating academic rigour and profundity with dense and obscure prose. I therefore welcomed the opportunity to look more closely at yet another text – among the several that I was currently examining – that purported to help the reader develop a deeper understanding of education through nurturing a sociological imagination. In what follows I will argue that Gewirtz and Cribb have provided us with an excellent and highly commendable volume that has several strengths. I will also note, however, that the volume runs into some difficulties when seen, comprehensively, as an introductory text.