Stealth Bureaucracy in Sally Tomlinson’s Irresistible Rise of the SEN Industry

Abstract

This chapter discusses the significance of Sally Tomlinson’s article, The Irresistible Rise of Special Education and of her sociological thinking more generally. The paradox highlighted in the Tomlinson’s article, that is, the constantly evolving expansion, globally, of special education, alongside a simultaneous growth in support for the idea of inclusive education, is discussed in this chapter. Tomlinson’s influence on the sociological direction of Julie Allan’s work is traced and exemplified, and the continuing tensions in inclusive education are explored.

Citation

Allan, J. (2015), "Stealth Bureaucracy in Sally Tomlinson’s Irresistible Rise of the SEN Industry ", Foundations of Inclusive Education Research (International Perspectives on Inclusive Education, Vol. 6), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 37-52. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-363620150000006002