Using original data on high school credentials in Australia and internationally, the author makes a strong case for certificates to be studied relationally, by locating them in the credentialing structures in which they are inserted. He systematically applies the comparative method to explain the role of the curriculum, family resources, school segregation and higher education selection in creating a credential hierarchy. His robust combination of theoretical construction and detailed empirical work allows him to offer new insights into social inequality in education systems, credential theory and the IB Diploma.
Quentin Maire is a French-Australian Research Fellow in the Centre for International Research on Education Systems at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. He is a recognised scholar in educational sociology, international education and comparative education. He completed his PhD on the International Baccalaureate (IB) in 2016 and has published in various academic outlets, including International Studies in Sociology of Education, Educational Review and Discourse. His work uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods and combines empirical analysis and theory building. He is developing an original sociological agenda to propose new ways of understanding social inequality in education systems. He is currently co-authoring a comprehensive volume on educational inequality with Stephen Lamb and Esther Doecke. The book builds on the large-scale International Study of City Youth (ISCY) project and is expected to be published with Springer in 2022.