The Consequences of Global Educational Expansion: Social Science Perspectives

Education brings demonstrable benefits to developing nations, but these gains are not being realized by large numbers of people in those societies.

In The Consequences of Global Educational Expansion, Emily Hannum (University of Pennsylvania) and Claudia Buchmann (Duke University) present findings about the effects of educational expansion in the developing world. They demonstrate that increased education has significant social benefits, particularly for individual economic opportunity and public health. According to Hannum and Buchmann, "countries with better-educated citizens tend to have healthier populations, as educated individuals make more informed health choices, live longer and have healthier children."

The study also emphasizes that education, as it is currently being implemented, is not a panacea for developing nations. As Hannum and Buchmann observe, "Decades of empirical research in social stratification and mobility offer evidence that educational expansion does not necessarily narrow social inequalities between advantaged and disadvantaged groups." Furthermore, the authors note that the relationship between education and democratization does not appear to be significant. These findings are critical for guiding future research to support the major education initiatives currently being pursued by the international community. The costs and benefits of expanding education must be made clearer to attract the support of governments around the world.

Emily Hannum is an assistant professor in the department of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. Most of her work focuses on education, child welfare, and social stratification in China. She directs a longitudinal study of children's education, health, and economic status in rural western China. Her work in China also includes the investigation of national changes in human capital acquisition and their implications for socioeconomic, gender, and ethnic stratification. Hannum has also published on educational stratification in comparative perspective, with a focus on developing country settings. At the University of Pennsylvania, she teaches courses on social inequality in China and survey design.

Claudia Buchmann is an assistant professor in the department of sociology at Duke University. She has published numerous articles on education and inequality in both industrialized and developing societies, with a particular emphasis on educational systems in Africa. Some of her research has examined the impact of global economic restructuring on the quality of life of women and children in developing countries, and the role of family processes in perpetuating gender, class, and ethnic differences in educational participation. At Duke University, Buchmann teaches courses on globalization, education and stratification, and comparative research methods.