Education and social classes in Portugal: continuities and changes in the 21st century

Authors

  • Pedro Abrantes Universidade Aberta, Lisboa, Portugal / Iscte — Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Lisboa, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7458/SPP20229924309

Keywords:

social structure, inequalities, education system, educational policies

Abstract

The relation between education and the class structure is in the core of the sociological project, since its foundation. This article aims to review some of its main theories and results, in the light of the transformations of the Portuguese society over the last few decades. Such changes are so pervasive that some doubts were raised over the heuristic potential of the concept of social class or, at least, of its relation with schooling. Therefore, this article clarifies the importance of this relation, and explores recent variations in its configuration. After a review of the national and international literature, a set of empirical data resulting from the European Social Survey is presented and discussed, comparing the results from 2002 and 2018.    

Published

2022-05-04

Issue

Section

Artigos