A Probe into the Nature of Sociology of Education as a Discipline and Its Subject of Study

Abstract

The sociology of education is a fairly young branch of learning. As an independent course of study, it dates back to the late nineteenth century. Though having a history of only a few decades, it has already achieved adequate progress. The study of sociology of education has drawn attention not only in the United States and Europe but also in Japan, the third world, and socialist countries. International exchanges on this subject are growing with each passing day. However, we find that it still remains a controversial issue how to define the nature of sociology of education as a discipline, and the parameters of the study of it also vary. What gave rise to such a phenomenon? How should we analyze it? What is, after all, the nature of sociology of education, and what is its subject of study? What relations do they bear to the building up of sociology of education as a branch of learning in China? These are the issues that this article proposes to address.