The basis of Bernstein’s sociology of education lays in is his theorisation of the different approaches to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and the implications for pedagogic rights and social justice. This edited collection presents 15 empirical case studies and theoretical accounts from 22 international scholars who focus on the experiences of students and teachers in contexts marked by economic, social, cultural, linguistic and/or geographic diversity.　 Located in systems of education in Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal, South Africa and the United States, each chapter contributes to a better understanding of the conditions of a democratic education across time and place.

Philippe Vitale is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Aix-Marseille University, and member of the Mediterranean Laboratory of Sociology, France.

Beryl Exley is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.