Today universities are responsible for training future teachers, and an appreciable amount of coursework is devoted to educational sciences, including sociology. This introduction provides the fundamental sociological knowledge required for mastering the role of teaching at different schooling levels. Future teachers (but also current ones, who often are not adequately versed in sociology) will find this volume to be a helpful, easy-to-approach, and meticulous tool.

Contents: 1. The Sociological Study of Educational Systems - 2. Social Effects of Schooling - 3. Schools and Socialisation Agencies - 4. Schools in Multiethnic Societies - 5. Differences at School - 6. Teachers - Bibliographical References.

Lorenzo Fischer teached Sociology of Education at the University of Torino.