Ryan W. Coughlan

Leaders in the Sociology of Education

The Sociology of Education is no different in form than other fields of scholarship in that it depends wholly on the creativity, passion, assiduousness, and luck of the women and men who commit themselves to the advancement of the discipline. Surely world events and the political economy of a given time and place bear tremendous responsibility for shaping research agendas and directing intellectual thought, but it is the humanity and individuality of the scholars who interact with all that surrounds them that defines an academic field. As such, an intimate look into the careers of a selection of leaders in the sociology of education has much to offer those seeking a better understanding of the present state of this field of study.