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In this comparative study of young people´s educational careers in England and Germany, individual factors, social class, school and country characteristics are shown jointly to shape these careers through mutually reinforcing processes. Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is combined with interview analysis to explore generative mechanisms.

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1. Introduction 2. Description and Explanation: Methodological Rationale 3. Qualitative Comparative Analysis 4. Overview of the Project 5. Which Young People in Germany are in a Gymnasium at the Age of 17? A Typological Analysis 6. Secondary Schooling Careers in England 7. What Types of Young People are Bound for Higher Education at the Age of 17? 8. Using In-Depth Case Studies to Explore Causal Mechanisms in Detail 9. Summary and Conclusions

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Judith Glaesser is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Durham University, UK. Her interests include sociology of education, comparative education, policy, research design and research methods, and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). She has held two ESRC grants which have enabled her to explore QCA, its foundations and applications.

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