This text investigates the historical and sociological evolution of school subjects to understand how specific disciplines become established within educational curricula. The authors, including Ivor F. Goodson, utilize their extensive research in the United Kingdom and North America to bridge the gap between historical educational studies and contemporary teaching practices. By analyzing the growth of interest in school subjects since the 1960s, the book provides a framework for evaluating how social and political forces shape what is taught in classrooms.

Experts in the field of education recognize this work as a significant contribution to the sociology of the curriculum. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for those studying the history and development of school subjects.