LCT builds on past knowledge. It integrates insights from the approaches of Basil Bernstein, Pierre Bourdieu, systemic functional linguistics, Karl Popper, critical realism and many others, including taking inspiration from Foucault, the Frankfurt School, Ernest Gellner and Mary Douglas. These papers address some of those foundations.
TEXTBOOK
For an introduction to the sociology of education that places the work of Bourdieu, Bernstein, social realism and LCT in context, see chapter 5 of:
Van Krieken, R., Smith, P. Habibis, B., Smith, P., Hutchins, B., Martin, G.. & Maton, K. (2010) Sociology: Themes and perspectives. Fourth Edition. Sydney, Pearson.
SOCIAL REALISM
Maton, K. & Moore, R. (2010) Coalitions of the mind, in Maton, K. & Moore, R. (Eds.) Social Realism, Knowledge and the Sociology of Education: Coalitions of the mind. London, Continuum, 1-13.
This is an introduction to a collection of key papers in the broad set of approaches known as ‘social realism’. It provides the basic background to social realism, its implications for education and social justice, and a brief history of the emergence of this fresh approach to knowledge. It includes chapters by: Maton (revised versions of 'Languages of legitimation' and 'Invisible tribunals' - see Theory page); Moore & Young; Moore & Muller; Beck; Wheelahan; Young & Muller; and Moore.
"This book makes a persuasive case for reinstating knowledge at the heart of our field." (Professor Geoff Whitty, Director, Institute of Education).
Social realism "now must count as the most powerful critique of relativism and social constructionism in the field: its arguments cannot be ignored" (Professor Hugh Lauder, University of Bath).
Click here to purchase on Amazon.co.uk (hardback). Now out in paperback.
On social realism, see also Rob Moore (2009) Towards the Sociology of Truth, London: Continuum.
DEVELOPING BOURDIEU
The ways in which LCT extends, integrates and subsumes Bourdieu's field theory has yet to be extensively discussed because most papers begin from Bernstein's code theory, as it is a closer 'take-off' point from which to introduce new concepts. Nonetheless, the following give some indications.
Maton, K. (1999) Extra curricular activity required: Pierre Bourdieu and the sociology of educational knowledge, in Grenfell, M. & Kelly, M. (Eds.) Pierre Bourdieu: Language, culture and education. Bern, Peter Lang, 197-210.
An early paper that is the first appearance in print of the epistemic / social relation distinction.
Maton, K. (2003) Reflexivity, relationism and research: Pierre Bourdieu and the epistemic conditions of social scientific knowledge, Space & Culture, 6(1): 52-65.
Pierre Bourdieu's 'epistemic reflexivity' is the corner-stone of his intellectual enterprise, underpinning his claims to provide distinctive and scientific knowledge of the social world. This paper considers what this notion offers for research and how it needs to be developed further to underpin progress in social science. First, it argues that many reflexive research practices are sociological, individualistic and narcissistic and contrast this to Bourdieu's conception of epistemic reflexivity as epistemological, collective and objective. It then illustrates how, despite his intentions, this conception when enacted tends towards the very pitfalls it is intended to avoid. Building on a developing conceptualisation of the relations of knowledge, this problem is shown to be intrinsic to Bourdieu's framework, which bypasses the significance of knowledge structures and so provides the social but not the epistemological conditions for social scientific knowledge. The paper argues that Bourdieu's reflexivity objectifies objectification but needs development to help achieve objective knowledge. The paper concludes by introducing the notion of 'epistemic capital' as a first step towards developing a properly epistemic reflexivity and so realising the potential of Bourdieu's enterprise.
Maton, K. (2003) Eternizando o arbitrário: O legado profano de Pierre Bourdieu, Educação, Sociedade & Culturas, 19: 89-102.
Maton, K. (2005) The sacred and the profane: The arbitrary legacy of Pierre Bourdieu, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 8(1): 121-132.
Ostensibly a review of two books, the paper explores the notion of the 'arbitrary' in Bourdieu's framework, highlighting its value and its limitations and drawing out how Bernstein's approach can help develop that of Bourdieu.
Maton, K. (2005) A question of autonomy: Bourdieu's field approach and policy in higher education, Journal of Education Policy 20(6): 687-704.
See Autonomy page for summary.
Maton, K. (2008) Habitus, in Grenfell, M. (Ed) Pierre Bourdieu: Key concepts. London, Acumen.
A simple introduction to the concept of 'habitus'.
BERNSTEIN BACKGROUND
Many of the ways that LCT extends, integrates and subsumes Bernstein's code theory are introduced in the Theory papers. This paper simply gives a brief introduction to some key ideas in Bernstein's framework. See also the lectures on the Transmission page.
Maton, K. & Muller, J. (2007) A sociology for the transmission of knowledges, in Christie, F. & Martin, J. (Eds.) Language, Knowledge and Pedagogy: Functional linguistic and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum, 14-33.
An introduction to the development of Bernstein's theoretical framework that focuses on the notions of 'codes', the pedagogic device and 'knowledge structures'.
BERNSTEIN, SOCIAL REALISM AND SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS
Christie, F., Martin, J., Maton, K. & Muller, J. (2007) Taking stock: Future directions in research in knowledge structure, in Christie, F. & Martin, J. (Ed.) Language, Knowledge and Pedagogy: Functional linguistic and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum, 237-258.
This volume came out of a conference in Dec 2004 that brought together systemic functional linguists and code sociologists around the issue of knowledge structures. This chapter brings together two of each group (Fran Christie, Jim Martin, Joe Muller and Karl Maton) for a discussion of ideas and issues arising from the conference.
Christie, F. & Maton, K. (eds) (2011) Disciplinarity: Functional linguistic and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum.
Disciplinary knowledge is under threat in the modern world. Claims abound that we are entering a landscape in which the division of disciplines is obsolete, implying a commitment to outdated values in scholarship. Notions of discipline are critiqued as reflecting social power and representing the worldview of dominant social groups. By addressing and challenging such claims, this edited collection argues that proclamations of the death of disciplines have been greatly overstated. Not only are the notions of disciplinarity still important for understanding how we come to know the world, but this volume demonstrates how significant disciplinarity is to understanding different forms of knowledge if we wish to improve the building of knowledge and educational practice. Using analytical tools from systemic functional linguistics theory and social realist sociology, this volume illustrates how different disciplines can collaborate and cross-fertilize successfully, without losing their distinctive insights and disciplinary integrity. The subsequent theory developed will thereby extend both linguistic and sociological approaches to the topic and make a major contribution to educational theory.
A volume that brings together social realists and systemic functional linguists to consider the issue of disciplinarity. It includes a number of uses of LCT (see Practice pages) by both sociologists and linguists. For a useful introduction to relations between social realism and systemic functional linguistics, see:
Martin, J. R. (2011) Bridging troubled waters: Interdisciplinarity and what makes it stick, in Christie, F. & Maton, K. (eds.) Disciplinarity: Functional linguistic and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum.
THEORY AND EDUCATION
Maton, K. (2006) Why theory? It's not rocket surgery!, Australian Association for Research in Education News 56, October: 11.
Maton, K. (2003) What's the philosophy of education?, History Teaching
Maton, K. (2004) Cultural fastfood with the Frankfurt School, Three-D: UK Media, Communication & Cultural Studies Association, 1: 15.
Maton, K. (2003) Reflecting on reflexivity, Three-D: UK Media, Communication & Cultural Studies Association, 2: 13.
Maton, K. (2003) Talking paradigms, Three-D: UK Media, Communication & Cultural Studies Association, 1: 6.
CRITICAL REALISM AND EDUCATION
Critical realist philosophy offers a fruitful underlabouring ontology for social realist sociology; social realist sociology offers critical realist philosophy fruitful conceptual frameworks for substantive research into education.
Maton, K. (2008) Critical realism, social realism and the epistemic device. Critical Realism and Education: An international conference, Institute of Education, University of London, July.
Maton, K. & Shipway, B. (2007) Studies of education, in Hartwig, M. (Ed.) Dictionary of Critical Realism. London, Routledge, 442-443.
Maton, K. (2003) Review of Robert Willmott, Education Policy and Realist Social Theory, Sociological Review, 51(4): 569-72.
Maton, K. (2001) Review of Andrew Sayer, Realism & Social Science, Sociological Review 49(1), Feb, 149-152.