Educational Paths, Social Inequalities and Life Trajectories

Education is a major instrument for personal, social and institutional development. However, the different social allocation of educational opportunities may also maintain, or even worsen, social inequalities. Indeed, the differences in educational chances, particularly in terms of educational credentialism, especially when combined with gender issues, ethnical perspectives and effective opportunities of democratic participation, represent one of the main generative factors of contemporary hybrid “classless” inequality, leading to direct consequences on the general socioeconomic social stratification. The largely debated question is about whether educational system could effectively overcome social inequalities, or just merely reflect or even intensify them. Due to the multidimensional nature of contemporary inequality, the crucial questions remain whether, how and at to what extent society, institutions and organizations determine advantages and disadvantages in individual educational opportunities, reproducing social inequalities. This implies analyzing how societal conditions (like overall levels of inequality, welfare regime type, labor market features, demographics) represent incentives and opportunities or, on the contrary, limitations regarding educational attainment and, more in general, individual well-being and life satisfaction (considering, for example, educational career, entry into the labor market, occupational attainment, working conditions, family formation). Although structural constraints could play an important role in determining individual achievement (in education, in labor market, in his/her life), it is also important to consider the exercise of an individual’s agency to overcome barriers and difficulties that influence the opportunities to achieve his/her purposes. Within such setting, it is crucial to examine critically both the reasons and outcomes of education reforms, policy changes and transformations, as well to analyze the models of accountability, quality and school effectiveness to cope with problems of inequality. Considering the current global financial crisis and the shaping of new forms of social inequalities, it is important to re-elaborate the relationships between education and social inequalities, improving education as an opportunity for individuals to overcome social inequalities, enhancing their personal capabilities for employability and overall well-being. The aim of the special issue was to bring together scientists from different social sciences (including sociology, economics and education) to develop an interdisciplinary understanding on how characteristics of educational systems (primary, secondary and tertiary education) are related to various sorts of social inequalities, promoting the sharing of theoretical and empirical reflections.