The Future of the Sociology of Education
A BSA Presidential Event, in collaboration with the BSA Education Study Group
6 June 2025 (10:00-17:00)
BSA Meeting Room, Imperial Wharf, London, UK
About the Event
Within the UK, the sociology of education has faced various challenges over recent decades, not least its exclusion from the majority of initial teacher training courses and a certain degree of marginalisation within sociology departments. Nevertheless, sociologists of education have found new ways of contributing to teaching programmes, including through the increasing number of undergraduate degrees in education studies, and master’s degrees in more specific areas of education. Their research has also remained vibrant, moving into new areas such as data science, as well as continuing work that has long been central to the sub-discipline, about the ways in which educational institutions redress or reproduce social inequalities, for example. The BSA has played a key role in this continuing vibrancy, through bringing together scholars working on educational issues – through the Education Study Group, but also through other networks such as the Bourdieu Study Group and Youth Study Group.
Call for Papers
In this one-day conference we take stock of where the sub-discipline is now, and consider its future for the coming decade. We invite papers that address any aspect of this theme; theoretical, empirical and methodological contributions are all welcome. We encourage contributions from researchers at all career stages, including PhD students. Please send an abstract of 250-500 words to Rachel Brooks by 30 January 2025.
We hope to use a variety of different formats for research contributions during the day and so would be grateful if, when submitting your abstract, you could indicate which of these formats you would like to be considered for (there is no need to choose only one):
- 20-minute standard presentation
- 10-minute ‘lightening’ talk
- Pecha Kucha (20 slides, each of which auto-advances after 20 seconds)
- Poster presentation
Registration
- BSA Member: £15
- Non-member: £20
Further information to follow.
Organising Team
Rachel Brooks (University of Oxford); Tamsin Bowers-Brown (Leeds Trinity University); Achala Gupta (University of Southampton); Jon Rainford (Open University); Juliette Wilson-Thomas (Manchester Metropolitan University).