The Introduction of Compulsory Schooling Around the World: Global Diffusion Between Isomorphism and ‘Cultural Spheres’

Abstract

In Chap. 10.1007/978-3-030-78885-8_2, Helen Seitzer, Fabian Besche-Truthe, and Michael Windzio investigate the diffusion of compulsory education from a global perspective. Compulsory education closely relates to the reproduction and change of a country’s culture. In this chapter, the authors focus on the effect of a country’s membership in different clusters defined by cultural characteristics, on the diffusion of compulsory education. They apply social network analysis to define global ‘cultural spheres’, which have fuzzy boundaries. This network is the structural framework behind the diffusion process of compulsory education. The impact of cultural spheres on diffusion is tested by exposure in terms of close ties to other countries with compulsory education, and they are found to significantly increase the rate of adoption.