Globalization of Education and the Sociology of Elites

Abstract

Abstract This chapter focuses on the impact of globalization on elite education, looking at current debates on the place of elites in society and the renewed attention paid to issues related to elites and elite education. It shows how the sociology of elite education contributes to our understanding of new forms of cosmopolitanism and transnational mobility patterns and how these processes participate in the reproduction and transformation of existing inequalities. The first section focuses on the cosmopolitan educational perspectives and transnational practices of elite families but also of upper-class and aspiring middle-class parents, in a variety of countries and geographical areas. The second section examines the globalizing practices of elite secondary schools around the world and the role played by international curricula, tracks, and schools in redefining elite education.