Springer Shadow Education and Social Inequalities in Japan: Evolving Patterns and Conceptual Implications

This book examines why Japan has one of the highest enrolment rates in cram schools and private tutoring worldwide. It sheds light on the causes of this high dependence on ‘shadow education’ and its implications for social inequalities. The book provides a deep and extensive understanding of the role of this kind of education in Japan. It shows new ways to theoretically and empirically address this issue, and offers a comprehensive perspective on the impact of shadow education on social inequality formation that is based on reliable and convincing empirical analyses. Contrary to earlier studies, the book shows that shadow education does not inevitably result in increasing or persisting inequalities, but also inherits the potential to let students overcome their status-specific disadvantages and contributes to more opportunities in education. Against the background of the continuous expansion and the convergence of shadow education systems across the globe, the findings of this book call for similar works in other national contexts, particularly Western societies without traditional large-scale shadow education markets. The book emphasizes the importance and urgency to deal with the modern excesses of educational expansion and education as an institution, in which the shadow education industry has made itself (seemingly) indispensable. Review “Shadow Education and Social Inequalities in Japan, Entrich presents the findings of work he conducted in Japan over a six-year period. As the title implies, the author is particularly interested in the effects of shadow education on students from different socio-economic backgrounds. … Shadow Education and Social Inequalities in Japan explores changes in the juku industry in more detail than any other study of this topic that I have read.” (Christopher Bjork, Pacific Affairs, Vol. 92 (1), March 2019) Review “Entrich takes us a giant step forward in moving beyond an understanding of the obvious impact of supplementary education in Japan, to the actual processes and causal mechanisms that produce this impact. To understand Japanese education, but also supplementary education around the world, Entrich’s book is essential reading.” (Julian Dierkes, Keidanren Chair in Japanese Research, University of British Columbia, Canada) “The book of Entrich is groundbreaking. The first book that throws light on the question, why parents invest that much in their children in the “juku” industry in Japan. The concepts and ideas are theory driven and empirically on an advanced level. It’s definitely worth reading.” (Wolfgang Lauterbach, Chair in Social Science Educational Research, University of Potsdam, Germany) From the Back Cover This book examines why Japan has one of the highest enrolment rates in cram schools and private tutoring worldwide. It sheds light on the causes of this high dependence on ‘shadow education’ and its implications for social inequalities. The book provides a deep and extensive understanding of the role of this kind of education in Japan. It shows new ways to theoretically and empirically address this issue, and offers a comprehensive perspective on the impact of shadow education on social inequality formation that is based on reliable and convincing empirical analyses. Contrary to earlier studies, the book shows that shadow education does not inevitably result in increasing or persisting inequalities, but also inherits the potential to let students overcome their status-specific disadvantages and contributes to more opportunities in education. Against the background of the continuous expansion and the convergence of shadow education systems across the globe, the findings of this book call for similar works in other national contexts, particularly Western societies without traditional large-scale shadow education markets. The book emphasizes the importance and urgency to deal with the modern excesses of educational ex