Sociology of Education and the Question of Gender: From Social Inequalities to Gender Disparities

Abstract

This article deals with the circumstances that have driven the interest of French sociologists in questions of education and gender. It aims to trace the transformation this sub–discipline of sociology from an exclusive focus on the relationship of education to social inequalities to an awareness of issues of gender education. Further, it seeks to understand the implications of this transformation, its dimensions, and the major contributions it has generated. The author posits these contributions as a theoretical tool for familiarization, interrogation, and enrichment, guaranteed to help strengthen the theoretical groundings of the sociology of education in the Arab world in a manner that takes into account the various forms of difference penetrating the educational field, especially social and gender differences.