The first fully comparative empirical analysis of the relationship between education and social cohesion, this book develops a new 'distributional theory' of the effects of educational inequality on social solidarity. Based on extensive analysis of data on inequality and social attitudes for over 25 developed countries.

The first fully comparative empirical analysis of the relationship between education and social cohesion, this book, now available in paperback, develops a new 'distributional theory' of the effects of educational inequality on social solidarity. Based on a wide-ranging theoretical critique, and extensive analysis of data on inequality and social attitudes for over 25 developed countries, the study shows how educational inequality undermines key aspects of societal cohesion such as social and institutional trust, civic cooperation and the rule of law. Through a comparative examination of different models of lifelong learning and the knowledge society in Europe, the book demonstrates how more egalitarian education systems can promote both economic competitiveness and social cohesion. In contrast to current policy concerns with aggregate national skills levels, this book argues that it is not how much education a country has that matters for social cohesion, but how it is distributed and the cooperative values that people learn.

Review
“Andy Green, John Preston and Jan Germen Janmaat have provided a wonderful example of a theoretically and empirically informed social science approach to the study of education policy in this time of globalization.” - Bob Lingard, British Journal of Sociology of Education “...this is also a worthwhile and provocative volume, one that sets a high standard for future comparative research on education and social cohesion, and for mixed method research in education more generally.” - Karen Mundy, British Journal of the Sociology of Education. “This book offers a highly competent corrective example to pseudo-social economism, on the one hand, and critical culturalism in education, on the other.” - Philip Wexler, British Journal of the Sociology of Education.

ANDY GREEN is Professor of Comparative Social Science at the Institute of Education, University of London, UK and Director of the Research Centre on Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies (LLAKES). He has published widely on a range of education issues, with major works translated into Chinese, German, Japanese and Spanish. His published books include High Skills: Globalization, Competitiveness and Skills Formation; Education, Globalization and the Nation State; and Education and State Formation. JOHN PRESTON is Reader in Lifelong Learning, Competitiveness and Social Cohesion at the Institute of Education, University of London. He has published widely on themes of lifelong learning, social cohesion and education inequalities. He is the author of the recently published book: Whiteness and Class in Education. JAN GERMEN JANMAAT is Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Education, University of London. His research on the formation of civic identities has been published in journals as diverse as Ethnic and Racial Studies, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Journal of European Sociology, Compare, Comparative Education and Comparative Sociology.