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Copyright of Tidsskrift for Samfunnsforskning is the property of H. Aschehoug & Co. (W. Nygaard) AS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores the relevance of Pierre Bourdieu's 'epistemic reflexivity' for the sociology of religion, in particular by examining his neglected address to the French Association for the Sociology of Religion in 1982. Whilst sociologists of religion have addressed some issues of reflexivity in their practice, less attention has been paid to the crucial scientific requirement, highlighted by Bourdieu, to break from the 'illusio' of that field and thus avoid alignments with positions taken by religious actors themselves. As a result, many sociologists inevitably participate in religious contestations and stakes, whether or not they affirm or deny their own religious identification with those they study. Although Bourdieu's address was a response to a particular national and historical form of the sociology of religion, we argue that it retains much significance today and may lead to fruitful debate within the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational action model is an often cited explanation of class differences in educational choice, but is the empirical evidence for this theory sufficient? In this paper, I review empirical articles from the past 10 years, with the aim of testing the rational action model of class differences in educational choice. I conclude that existing studies generally sup- port the idea that costs, benefits and perceived chances of success are important predictors of educational choice and contribute to class differences. The idea of relative risk aversion is also sustained: The actors seek to avoid social degrading compared to their parents' position. These are all key elements in the rational action model. However, the empirical evidence does not provide support for excluding other explanations of class differences in educational choices, especially cultural capital theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]