hrough an excellent selection of essays, this volume provides an overview of the major underlying themes in the sociology of education, as well of the processes and practices that explicate education in contemporary India. Almost all essays are grounded on empirical research and, using an ethnographic approach, seek to understand education from the perspective of students, teachers, as well as the institutional and non-institutional settings in which most educational practice occurs. The rich and panoramic introduction provides the broad canvas of the sociology of education in a disciplinary framework within which the essays are located. This book is essential reading for sociologists, teachers, student teachers, and those concerned about the social issues and contexts that underpin education and learning in India.