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- Title
The Social Sources of Educational Credentialism: Status Cultures, Labor Markets, and Organizations.
- Authors
Brown, David K.
- Abstract
The expansion of access to higher education and the proliferation of formal degree requirements for entry to employment have been enduring trends over the past century. This article reviews the contested development and promise of the Weberian theory of educational credentialism, which views competition for credentials as a primary determinant of modern stratification systems. The key issues that are elaborated include the relationship of educational expansion to economic growth, the relative importance of technical skills versus occupational status-group cultures in degrees and recruitment, the significance of the formalization of degrees, and the peculiar dynamics of bureaucratic and professional credential markets. The future trajectory of credentialism is assessed in light of potential policy reforms, market crises, and state interventions.
- Subjects
HIGHER education; JOB qualifications; SOCIAL structure; ACADEMIC degrees; WORK &; education
- Publication
Sociology of Education, 2001, Vol 74, Issue 4, p19
- ISSN
0038-0407
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/2673251