The Schooled Society. The Educational Transformation of Global Culture. David P. Baker

Only 150 years ago, the majority of the world's population was largely il­literate. Today, not only do most people over fifteen have basic reading and writing skills, but 20 percent of the population attends some form of higher education. What are the effects of such radical, large-scale change? David Baker argues that the education revolution has trans­formed our world into a schooled society—that is, a society that is act­ively created and defined by education.

Drawing on neo-institutionalism, The Schooled Society shows how mass education interjects itself and its ideologies into culture at large: from the dynamics of social mobility, to how we measure intelligence, to the values we promote. The proposition that education is a primary rather than a "reactive" institution is then tested by examining the de­gree to which education has influenced other large-scale social forces, such as the economy, politics, and religion. Rich, groundbreaking, and globally-oriented, The Schooled Society sheds light on how mass edu­cation has dramatically altered the face of society and human life.

American Educational Research Association Outstanding Book Award