In France's highly defined educational hierarchy, apprenticeship ranks low and is rejected by the academically successful. In England, educational pathways are less clearly ranked, and apprenticeships are desirable. Reflecting these differences, English craft apprentices scored higher on mathematics tests and showed less occupational variability…

Examines modes of competition for entry to selective Japanese universities using data on graduates from five high schools. Describes four models of selection modes, with "contest mobility" and "tournament mobility" corresponding to myths about U.S. and Japanese selection processes. Connects such myths to different national…

Studies of academic achievement and educational and occupational mobility constitute mainstream educational sociology. The key questions and main findings within these research traditions are identified, emphasizing both stable cross-national generalizations as well as cross-national contexts which lead to variable outcomes. To illustrate, family…