The Song revolution in Chinese Empire

The article is dedicated to the issue of Song’s dynasty transformation of imperial political system. The research is based on literature review. The study was carried on the political science standpoint. The crucial element of Song dynasty rule is final formation of meritocratic bureucracy – characteristic element of traditional chinese political system.

This text should be perceived as an review article in which the content of the monograph Social Inequalities in Access to Education… by Richard Borowicz allows for the presentation of his heritage which is leftfor the next generation of sociologists and educators. The text therefore exposes the approach to the profession of sociologist which was characteristic of Ryszard Borowicz, his scientific workshop and inspirations that we may draw from in relation to how to analyze the surrounding reality, how to communicate what we have determined, how to make methodological choices and, within them, choose the methods. At the same time, the text presents the continuity of the research into sociology of education in Poland, preserved also thanks to the research by the Author of the book discussed here. What is worth emphasizing is the diagnosis and assessment of the Polish transformation at the beginning of the twenty-first century in the context of young people’s educational fates (and their determinants), which is dominant in the monograph. The essence of Ryszard Borowicz’s research interests is the study on school selections. Therefore, the text contains an attempt at analyzing the findings in the book Social Inequality… relating to the mechanisms of selection in the educational system, including the analysis of the relevance of specific content, links with the findings by other researchers, and most of all, with the Author himself – his beliefs, motivations, and attitudes, which distinguished him in the scientific community.

Processes of selection of schools have already constituted the object of the Doctoral Dissertation of Professor Ryszard Borowicz, prepared under a scientific supervision of Professor Zbigniew Kwieciński, and also of his numerous books and papers published throughout his whole scientific career. One of the leading concepts applied in the projects carried out by Professor Ryszard Borowicz was the meritocratic concept. Application of that theory in the explanation of phenomena taking place in the contemporary education system has been subject of critical analysis. Besides, the possible directions of studies have been proposed concerning the selection of schools, including the university-level of education. A number of questions have been raised worth answering, especially in face of dynamic transformations taking place in the Polish society that are somehow a consequence of belief in education that was supposed to create stratification mechanisms enabling promotion of positively selected individuals, according to the relation “merit-award”. With consideration for the Professor’s achievements, and for current indicators, some phenomena have been presented that currently exist in the system and are directly related with the problem of selection of schools.