Can Education Be Equalized?: The Swedish Case In Comparative Perspective

by Robert S. Erikson

Previous research suggests that in most industrial nations, including the United States, social class inequality in educational attainment has remained stable over time, despite expanding school systems. Sweden is one of the few exceptions. Contrary to the experience in many comparable societies, class differences in educational opportunities have actually decreased in Sweden during this century. In this volume, prominent sociologists test different explanations of this phenomenon, comparing the Swedish experience with that of several other industrial societies, among them the United States, Great Britain, and Germany, as well as other European nations. Addressing the long-term change in the relationship between social origin, gender, and educational attainment, the contributors analyze the role of education for future labor market positions as well as the transmission of social status across generations.
Conclusions from the studies are discussed in a general theoretical framework by the editors, who suggest that the Swedish experience is best understood as the outcome of two different processes. First, it reflects an equalization in living conditions that leveled costs for higher education, and, second, it was aided by comprehensive school reform that postponed the earliest educational decisions. The editors pinpoint the mechanisms by which remaining social class differences come about and identify ones that are common to industrial societies.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1999