Abstract
Sociology of education has remained one of the main fields of sociology, since the 19th century. Subject to various controversies, many famous authors, like Durkheim or Bourdieu, have developed theories to show the function of a school within society and the link that could exist between the achievement in school achievement and the student's social background. The question of knowing whether or not there is a real democratization of the education systems in the developed world is not new. The theme of school and social equality or inequality has been a recurring topic in sociology of education for more than thirty years. The problems we address must be regarded from a comparative point of view, in time and space. Many people regard the social background of families as the key to a child's success in school. The social background is often seen as a crucial factor in school achievement. However, is it possible to give statistical backbone to the view that the key factor in how well children do is actually the social class they belong to? Is the common hypothesis that individuals from a higher socio-economic class are likelier to achieve academic success than individuals from a lower socio-economic class really true?
