Human capital development and the frontiers of research in the sociology of education

Human Capital Development and the Frontiers of Research in the Sociology of Education by Stephen L. Morgan Cornell University Mark W. McKerrow Cornell University Skills and Knowledge for Canada’s Future: Seven Perspectives Towards an Integrated Approach to Human Capital Development The opinions expressed herein are those of CPRN, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the supporting funde [...] In our synthesis of the sociological literature that is relevant to Canadian policy on human capital development, we consider four broad explanations – the effects of family background, the impact of race, opportunities to learn, and school effects – for motivation and commitment to schooling, learning and preparation for post-secondary education and resulting educational attainment. [...] Instead, the revised models of the 1970s and 1980s suggested that, while the expectations of parents, teachers, and peers have direct effects on the educational and occupational attainment process, other variables, such as the structure of opportunities in the education system and the labour market, also play an important role. [...] This research tradition is dominated by studies of the gaps that exist between the achievement and attainment of white and black students in the United States, although there is a vast literature on different contrasts in the United States and in other countries. [...] Human Capital Development and the Frontiers of Research in the Sociology of Education 5 topic, represents most of the major explanations for race differences (although presented only as explanations for the black-white gap in the United States).