'Explaining educational differentials' revisited: an evaluation of rigorous theoretical foundations and empirical findings

The aim of this chapter is to evaluate Breen & Goldthorpe's (BG) theoretical model for the explanation of educational differentials and to evaluate the empirical research the model has initiated. It also seeks to continue the first review (Goldthorpe 2007) of the critical reception of this model and the body of empirical research that has been carried out using it. It discusses the conceptual clarity and analytical rigor of the model as well as the mechanisms, criticisms, extensions and specifications of this model. Furthermore, the empirical application of this model is discussed by considering different methodological problems and findings. Overall, the evaluated model has inspired rigorous sociological research on inequality of educational opportunity (IEO) and has become a popular reference on this topic. Finally, it is concluded that the mixed results for the BG model and of the relative risk aversion (RRA) hypothesis indicate that the BG model still has not exhausted its theoretical and empirical potential.