School tracking and its role in social reproduction: reinforcing educational inheritance and the direct effects of social origin.

ABSTRACT: The degree of social reproduction varies considerably between industrialized countries, raising the question of which institutional regulations promote or restrict this process. Education is considered the main mediator of social reproduction. Because school tracking - the sorting of children according to ability and interest at different ages - is known to affect educational attainment and the degree of tracking varies strongly across countries, it may thus account for differences in social reproduction. However, empirical studies are scarce, and the total impact of tracking on social reproduction remains ambiguous. Using the European Social Survey (ESS) 2012 and 2014 from 24 countries, we demonstrate that school tracking is strongly associated with higher degrees of social reproduction.

SUBMITTER: Reichelt M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6767437 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature