Life Chances, Education and Social Movements

By (author) Lyle Munro

Publication date:

20 July 2019

Publisher

Anthem Press

Dimensions:

229x153mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781783089949

'Life Chances, Education and Social Movements' explains the sociology of life chances; the opportunities and experiences of different generations in Australia, the United States and the UK; and how the differential distribution of life-enhancing opportunities affects our well-being. Ralf Dahrendorf’s life-chances theory is used to support the theoretical and empirical arguments in Lyle Munro’s book. For Dahrendorf, education is arguably the most important option individuals can utilise for improving their well-being and for overcoming social and economic disadvantages. While there are countless sociological accounts of inequality, Munro’s study takes a different and novel approach based on Dahrendorf’s model, according to which education and social movements and their networks function to enhance the life chances of individuals and social groups respectively.

Introduction; Part I The Sociology of Life Chances; 1. Life Chances in Theory and Practice; 2. Generations and Life Chances; 3. The Inequality Spectrum; Part II Education Institutions and Movements; 4. The Necessity of Education; 5. The Widening Participation Movement; 6. The Lifelong Learning Movement; Part III The Transformative Power of Social Movements; 7. Social Justice Movements; 8. Risk Movements against Existential Threats; 9. Student, Worker and Citizen Movements; Conclusion; Index.

‘Knowledge is power; education is transformative. Agency is based on positive life chances; social movements are life changing. This book demonstrates how social justice embodies learning and activism, and how students, workers and citizens can engage to make the world a better place for all.’
—Rob White, Head of School of Social Sciences and Professor of Criminology, University of Tasmania, Australia