Gianluca Argentin – University of Milan Bicocca
Emmanuele Pavolini – University of Macerata
Moris Triventi – University of Trento
Sociology has been investigating two sets of strong associations for decades: the ones between individual circumstances (e.g. social background, gender, migration status) and children’s cognitive skills/academic achievement, and the ones between the education credentials and labour market attainment. An additional strand of research focused on the institutional features possibly affecting inequalities in students’ achievement and subsequently in the labour market returns. More recently, a surge of studies emphasised the role of teachers, schools’ organisation, and daily practices in education in the reproduction of social inequalities.
The call focuses on this recent change of perspective in sociological research, forcing scholars to identify new sources of information, to use different methods and to interact with additional disciplines. We welcome paper investigating the interaction between factors acting at different levels in the reproduction of inequalities and contributes analysing the connections between the micro and macro processes. How do different factors contribute to inequalities in educational achievement and the labour market returns? How are these associations changing in response to institutional shifts and technological change? Can the empirical evidence help to design policies aimed at reducing inequalities? Which changes do all this imply for researchers?
The session invites empirical contributions and the discussion of theoretical and methodological approaches for the description and the explanation of the patterns of inequalities in educational achievement and returns to education at different levels. Proposals stressing the policy implications of the findings are particularly welcome.