Abstract
The present paper aims to describe the main trends in sociological studies of education in the last two decades in six European countries, namely, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Topics addressed include (1) the main thematic trends in the area of educational studies and especially the sociology of education; (2) the interrelations between the social context—and, especially, the educational context—and social theories; (3) the interrelations between the various professional communities involved in educational research and (4) the interaction between international and national approaches in the study of education‐related themes.