CONTENTS IN BRIEF // Preface xi // Supplementary Material xiii // List of Abbreviations xv // 1 SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION: A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE // FOR UNDERSTANDING SCHOOLS 3 // 2 CONFLICTING FUNCTIONS AND PROCESSES IN // EDUCATION: WHAT MAKES THE SYSTEM WORK? 45 // 3 EQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY?: A LOOK // AT SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES AND INEQUALITIES 89 // 4 EQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY?: A LOOK // AT GENDER DIFFERENCES AND INEQUALITIES 141 // 5 EQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY?: A LOOK AT // RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIFFERENCES AND INEQUALITIES 179 // 6 THE SCHOOL AS AN ORGANIZATION 223 // 7 CONFLICT OR COOPERATION?: FORMAL ROLES WITHIN // THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM 263 // 8 STUDENTS: THE CORE OF THE SCHOOL 301 // 9 THE INFORMAL SYSTEM AND THE "HIDDEN CURRICULUM": // HOW "INVISIBLE" FORCES IMPACT EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES 349 // 10 THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND THE ENVIRONMENT: // A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP? 379 // 11 THE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION 413 // 12 EDUCATION SYSTEMS AROUND THE WORLD: // A COMPARATIVE VIEW 479 // 13 EDUCATIONAL MOVEMENTS AND REFORM 527 // Index // 567