Opportunities for Learning: A Sociological Perspective

Opportunities for Learning brings together the works of one of the most highly regarded past presidents of the American Sociological Association, focusing on uncovering and addressing educational inequities in elementary and secondary schools.

Few sociologists of education can rival the depth and breadth of Maureen T. Hallinan’s contributions to the field. This book compiles her writings, some of which have never been published before, to bring the full insight of both her sociological imagination and her theoretical and empirical research. Through articles, book chapters, and invited lectures, Hallinan explores the interplay among theory, research, and policy. Other pieces focus on the importance of opportunities to learn, peer friendships, and ability grouping for instruction. She writes in depth about various attempts of educational reform and the effects of Catholic schools. Hallinan sought to address the enduring problems of sociological theorizing and research within education, and her writings contribute important insights and provide foundations for the next generation of social scientists.

This collection demonstrates Hallinan’s keen ability to communicate balanced inquiry by engaging multiple perspectives in her theoretical framework coupled with strong empirical testing of the relationships.

Maureen T. Hallinan (1940-2014) was the founding director of the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives and the Center for Research on Educational Opportunity. A celebrated teacher and colleague, Hallinan was the author of more than 120 articles in professional journals and the editor of eight books.

Elizabeth Covay Minor is the director of Educational Leadership Studies and associate professor at National Louis University. She is the author of multiple articles and serves as a co-editor for i.e.: inquiry.

Mark Berends is a professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame. He has numerous scholarly publications, including co-editing Handbook of Research on School Choice, 2nd edition.

Barbara Schneider is the John A. Hannah University Distinguished Professor in the College of Education and Department of Sociology at Michigan State University. She has published nineteen books and more than one hundred articles and reports, including co-authoring Learning Science: The Value of Crafting Engagement in Science Environments.