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On School Choice and Social Class

A response to Ball, Bowe and Gewirtz

Bibliographic Data

ID11635375
AuthorsJames Tooley (0009-0003-1411-1836, University of Manchester, corresponding author)
Year1997
Volume18
Issue2
Pages217-230
Publication date1997-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Sociology of Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0142-5692 • E-ISSN: 1465-3346
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0142569970180205
OpenAlexW2089266884
LanguageEN
Citations received19
References cited12

The work of Ball, Bowe and Gewirtz is probably the most important research to be published on the implications of recent ‘school choice’ reforms in England and Wales. One of their most notable conclusions points to the relationship between social class and school choice. Their conclusions are challenged on methodological grounds. First, it is not clear that their qualitative method can support the generalisation about class and choice which they make. However, even as regards more modest conclusions, difficulties arise with the operationalisation of their concepts. For the details of how particular families are fitted into their analytical framework raises severe problems. This leads to their judgements about the allocation of families to categories being controversial, hence undermining even localised conclusions about social class and school choice. Drawing on this analysis, general lessons are sketched for the conduct of qualitative research and its reporting to the research community

Ball (mathematics · Class (philosophy · Epistemology · Political science · Qualitative research · School choice · Social class · Social science · Sociology · Law · Psychology · School Choice and Performance · Social Psychology

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Unique citing works19
Citations per year0,66
Citation span1997 - 2008 (12)
Citation velocityhistorical
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 19
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