Multiple temporalities in critical policy sociology in education

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper argues that more focus on the temporal is needed in critical policy sociology in education. In so asserting, the paper extends the concept of ‘historically informed’ as included in the foundational definition of policy sociology in education proffered by Jenny Ozga. There are four foci to this extension to encompass the temporal, taken to refer to the complex relationships between past, present and future, namely: the changing historical concept/definition of policy; policy histories; the temporal construction work of policies; and changing spatio-temporalities and timespaces of policy in the context of globalization. To a considerable extent these have been neglected in policy sociology in education research and theorising and as such demand new research and theoretical work in the field. Looking back in time will help us understand the present and possible futures.