Karl Maton

Dr Karl Maton Photo

 


Room 105 RC Mills Building
+612 9351 3902
Current Position Senior Lecturer
Website: http://www.karlmaton.com

Research Interests

Karl Maton specialises in the sociologies of education, knowledge and culture. His interests are focused on questions of knowledge and society, including epistemology, the knowledge society, higher education, schooling, and cultural studies. Karl is the principal author of Legitimation Code Theory (‘LCT’), a sociological framework for the study of social fields of practice. During semester, a fortnightly Roundtable meets to discuss Legitimation Code Theory. This approach builds on the approaches of, among others, Pierre Bourdieu, Basil Bernstein and critical realism, and is being used in a number of current interdisciplinary research projects, including studies of:

  • how different disciplines build new knowledge and change over time, such as cultural studies, mathematics, physics, sociology, etc
  • ‘digital natives’ and technology
  • conceptual and theoretical development in the social sciences and humanities
  • disciplinarity
  • building students’ knowledge in schooling
  • rise of neoliberalism as an ideology
  • and studies of everything from nursing to freemasonry

Karl welcomes expressions of interest in PhDs into any aspect of knowledge or education that are interested in using the approaches of Basil Bernstein, Pierre Bourdieu or LCT.

Karl holds three major grants. Two are ‘A+’ rated ARC Discovery Grants on:

Disciplinarity, Knowledge and Schooling: Analysing and improving integrated, cumulative learning in classrooms ($360,000, 2009-2011)
- analysing and implementing the basis for cumulative learning in high school biology and History

Living and Learning in a Knowledge Society: The implications of young adults’ knowledge-creating practices for higher education ($80,000, 2009-2010)
- tracing through young adults’ knowledge-creating practices in everyday and academic contexts

Karl also ran the largest study of students and staff perspectives on educational technology at university undertaken in Australia:

The Current and Future Role of ICTs at the University of Sydney ($85,000, 2009)

Karl completed his PhD on The Field of Higher Education at the University of Cambridge. He has published in sociology, education, linguistics, philosophy and cultural studies, and previously worked at the University of Cambridge, The Open University, Keele University and the University of Wollongong.

Other offices held

Within university

  • Postgraduate Coursework Coordinator, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, 2007-2009, 2010
  • Faculty Board, Faculty of Education and Social Work
  • Academic advisor, Students At Risk program, Faculty of Arts

Beyond university

  • Elected Visiting Professor, Départment de Sociologie de lUFR Civilisations et Humanités, Université de Provence, France
  • Invited Visiting Scholar:
    • Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town, South Africa, November 2010, July 2009.
    • Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, November 2010.
    • Département de Sociologie, Université de Provence, France, June 2010, June-July 2008.
    • Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Dec 2004 and Nov 2005.
  • Member of organizing committee of The Seventh International Basil Bernstein Symposium, June 2012, University of Provence, France.
  • Member of organizing committee of The Sixth International Basil Bernstein Symposium, June-July 2010, Griffith University, Brisbane.
  • Co-organiser (with Prof Fran Christie) of Disciplinarity, Knowledge and Language: An international conference, University of Sydney, 8-10 Dec, 2008
  • Co-organiser (with Dr Rob Moore) of Social Realism in Education: An international colloquium, University of Cambridge, July 2008.
  • Organiser of ‘Engaging Realism’ seminar series, University of Sydney (2007-2008) and ‘Getting Real’ (2009).
  • Co-organiser of LCT-SFL Roundtable, a forum for sociologists and linguists interested in my theory. Meets every two weeks, attracting 12-16 academics and HDR students, 2009-2010.
  • International Reviewer of research quality for South Africa’s National Research Foundation, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
  • President, Australasian Association for Critical Realism (2008-).
  • Elected member of Editorial Committee of Journal of Critical Realism (2003-).
  • Affiliated to Centre for Culture, Identity and Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, since 2002.
  • Moderator of email listservs: The Sociology of Basil Bernstein; Australasian Critical Realism; Legitimation Code Theory

Current teaching

Supervisions

Doctoral Supervisions:

Lian Gao (EdD), Awarded 2007
The Changing Context of Tertiary English Teaching in China and Teachers’ Responses to the Challenges
Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong

Rainbow Chen (PhD), Awarded 2010.
Knowledge and Knowers in Online Learning: Investigating the effetcs of online flexible learning on student sojourners.
Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong

Lucila de Carvalho, (PhD). Awarded 2010.
A Sociology of Informal Learning in/about Design
Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney

Elizabeth Sayigh-Kane (PhD)
[i||Academics’ Intellectual Biographies: Making a case for the humanities and social sciences]]
Graduate School in Humanities, University of Cape Town

Jo Lander (PhD)
Online Discourse: Learning online in postgraduate public health education: expectations, experiences and the enactment of pedagogy.
University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

Sharon Aris (PhD)
What Knowledge? Which Knowers? How parents choose a high school for their children
Dept of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney

Tristan Enright (PhD)
The Rise of an Ideology: The case of neoliberal economic rationality
Dept of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney

Rebecca O’Brien (PhD)
Ways of Seeing, Ways of Knowing, Ways of Saying: The role of strategic legitimation within native title claims
Dept of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney

Anna David (PhD)
Kurt Lewin and Organizational Development: A case in recontextualisation
Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney


Honours Theses Supervisions

Jack Finegan, 2007 (awarded first class Honours)
The Democratisation of Knowledge? An enquiry into forms of online knowledge and participation
Faculty of Arts, University of Sydney

Rebecca O’Brien, 2009 (awarded first class Honours)
Special Education or Specialist Education? An exploratory study of pre-service teachers’ knowledge of special education.
Faculty of Arts, University of Sydney

Research Grants

  • ARC Discovery Project grant ($360,000, 2009-2011)
    Freebody, Martin and Maton
    Disciplinarity, Knowledge and Schooling: Analysing and improving integrated, cumulative learning in classrooms.
  • ARC Discovery Project grant ($80,000, 2009-2010)
    Bennett and Maton
    Living and Learning in a Knowledge Society: The implications of young adults’ knowledge-creating practices for higher education.
  • Sydney University, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) research grant ($85,000, 2008-2009)
    Maton and Bennett
    The Current and Future Role of ICTs at the University of Sydney: The educational implications of staff and student perspectives.
  • ALTC competitive grant ($180,000, current)
    Kennedy, Krause, Judd, Gray, Bennett, Dalgarno, Maton and Bishop.
    Educating the Net Generation: Implications for Learning and Teaching in Australian Universities.
  • University of Wollongong Research Committee competitive grant ($10,000, current)
    Bennett and Maton
    The ‘Digital Natives’ and Their Implications for Higher Education
  • Strategic Development Fund, SOPHI, University of Sydney ($2,000, 2007)
    Maton
    ‘Digital Natives’ and Higher Education

Books

Christie, F. and Maton, K. (eds) (2011) Disciplinarity: Systemic functional and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum.

Maton, K. and Moore, R. (eds) (2010) Social Realism, Knowledge and the Sociology of Education: Coalitions of the mind. London, Continuum.

Van Krieken, R., Smith, P. Habibis, B., Smith, P., Hutchins, B., Martin, G.. and Maton, K. (2010) Sociology: Themes and perspectives. Fourth Edition. Sydney, Pearson.

Articles in Refereed Journals

Martin, J., Maton, K. and Matruglio, E. (2010) Historical cosmologies: Epistemology and axiology in Australian secondary school history. Revista Signos 43(74): 433-463.

Bennett, S. and Maton, K. (2010) Beyond the ‘digital natives’ debate: Towards a more nuanced understanding of students’ technology experiences. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26(5): 321-331.

Carvahlo, L., Dong, A. and Maton, K. (2009) Legitimating design: A sociology of knowledge account of the field, Design Studies 30(5): 483-502.

Maton, K. (2009) Cumulative and segmented learning: Exploring the role of curriculum structures in knowledge-building, British Journal of Sociology of Education 30(1): 43-57.

Chen, R., Bennett, S., and Maton, K. (2008) The adaptation of Chinese international students to online flexible learning: Two case studies, Distance Education 29(3) 307-323

Lamont, A. and Maton, K. (2008) Choosing music: Exploratory studies into the low uptake of music GCSE, British Journal of Music Education 25(3): 267-282.

Bennett, S., Maton, K. and Kervin, L. (2008) The ‘digital natives’ debate: A critical review of the evidence, British Journal of Educational Technology 39(5): 775-786.

Freebody, P., Maton, K., and Martin, J. (2008) Talk, text and knowledge in cumulative, integrated learning: A response to ‘intellectual challenge’, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 31: 188-201.

Maton, K. (2005) A question of autonomy: Bourdieu’s field approach and policy in higher education, Journal of Education Policy 20(6): 687-704.

Maton, K. (2005) The sacred and the profane: The arbitrary legacy of Pierre Bourdieu, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 8(1): 121-132.

Wright, H.K. and Maton, K. (2004) Cultural studies and education: From Birmingham origin to glocal presence, The Review of Education, Pedagogy and Cultural Studies, 26 (2-3): 73-90.

Maton, K. (2003) Reflexivity, relationism and research: Pierre Bourdieu and the epistemic conditions of social scientific knowledge, Space and Culture, 6(1): 52-65.

Maton, K. (2003) Eternizando o arbitrário: O legado profano de Pierre Bourdieu, Educação, Sociedade and Culturas, 19: 89-102.

Maton, K. and Wright, H.K. (2002) Returning cultural studies to education, International Journal of Cultural Studies, 5(4): 379-392.

Maton, K. (2000) Languages of legitimation: The structuring significance for intellectual fields of strategic knowledge claims, British Journal of Sociology of Education 21 (2), 147-167.

Maton, K. (2000) Recovering pedagogic discourse: A Bernsteinian approach to the sociology of educational knowledge, Linguistics and Education 11 (1), 79-98.

Chapters in Books

Bennett, S., Maton, K. and Carrington, L. (in press, 2011) Understanding the complexity of technology acceptance by higher education students, in Teo, T. (ed.) Technology Acceptance in Education: Research and issues. The Netherlands, Sense.

Bennett, S., Maton, K. and Kervin, L. (in press, 2011) The ‘digital natives’ debate: A critical review of the evidence, in Bauerlein, M. (ed.) The Digital Divide: Writings about Facebook, texting, YouTube...’, New York, Tarcher/Penguin.

Bennett, S. and Maton, K. (in press, 2011) Intellectual field or faith-based religion: Moving on from the idea of ‘digital natives’, in Thomas, M. (ed) Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young people, technology and the new literacies. New York, Routledge, 169-185.

Maton, K. (2011) Knowledge-building: Analysing the cumulative development of ideas, in Ivinson, G., Davies, B. and Fitz, J. (eds.) Knowledge and Identity: Concepts and applications in Bernstein’s sociology. London, Routledge, 23-38.

Chen, R. T-H, Maton, K. and Bennett, S. (2011) Absenting discipline: Constructivist approaches in online learning, in Christie, F. and Maton, K. (eds.) Disciplinarity: Systemic functional and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum, 129-150.

Maton, K. (2011) Theories and things: The semantics of disciplinarity, in Christie, F. and Maton, K. (eds.) Disciplinarity: Systemic functional and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum, 62-84.

Christie, F. and Maton, K. (2011) Why disciplinarity?, in Christie, F. and Maton, K. (eds.) Disciplinarity: Systemic functional and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum, 1-9.

Maton, K. (2010) Segmentalism: The problem of building knowledge and creating knowers, in Frandji, D. and Vitale, P. (eds.) Knowledge, Pedagogy and Society: International perspectives on Basil Bernstein's sociology of education. Abingdon, Routledge, 126-139.

Maton, K. (2010) Last night we dreamt that somebody loved us: Smiths fans and me in the late 1980s, in Campbell, S. and Coulter, C. (eds.) Why Pamper Life’s Complexities? Essays on The Smiths. Manchester, Manchester University Press, 179-194.

Lamont, A. and Maton, K. (2010) Unpopular music: Beliefs and behaviours towards music in education, in Wright, R. (ed.) Sociology and Music Education. London, Ashgate, 63-80.

Maton, K. (2010) Invisible tribunals: Progress and knowledge-building in the humanities, in Singh, P., Sadovnik, A. and Semel, S. (eds.) Toolkits, Translation Devices and Conceptual Accounts: Essays on Basil Bernstein's sociology of knowledge. New York, Peter Lang, 177-196.

Maton, K. and Moore, R. (2010) Coalitions of the mind, in Maton, K. and Moore, R. (Eds.) Social Realism, Knowledge and the Sociology of Education: Coalitions of the mind. London, Continuum, 1-13.

Maton, K. (2010) Analysing knowledge claims and practices: Languages of legitimation, in Maton, K. and Moore, R. (Eds.) Social Realism, Knowledge and the Sociology of Education: Coalitions of the mind. London, Continuum, 35-59.

Maton, K. (2010) Progress and canons in the arts and humanities: Knowers and gazes, in Maton, K. and Moore, R. (Eds.) Social Realism, Knowledge and the Sociology of Education: Coalitions of the mind. London, Continuum, 154-178.

Maton, K. (2008) Gravité sémantique et Apprentissage segmenté, in Vitale, P. and Frandji, D. (Eds.) Enjeux Sociaux, Savoirs, Langage, Pedagogie: Actualité et fécondité de l’oeuvre de Basil Bernstein. Rennes, University of Rennes Press, 151-168.

Maton, K. (2008) Habitus, in Grenfell, M. (ed.) Pierre Bourdieu: Key concepts. London, Acumen, 49-66.

Maton, K. (2007) Knowledge-knower structures in intellectual and educational fields, in Christie, F. and Martin, J. (Eds.) Language, Knowledge and Pedagogy: Functional linguistic and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum, 87-108.

Maton, K. and Muller, J. (2007) A sociology for the transmission of knowledges, in Christie, F. and Martin, J. (Eds.) Language, Knowledge and Pedagogy: Functional linguistic and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum, 14-33.

Christie, F., Martin, J., Maton, K. and Muller, J. (2007) Taking stock: Future directions in research in knowledge structure, in Christie, F. and Martin, J. (Ed.) Language, Knowledge and Pedagogy: Functional linguistic and sociological perspectives. London, Continuum, 237-258.

Maton, K. (2006) On knowledge structures and knower structures, in Moore, R., Arnot, M., Beck, J. and Daniels, H. (Eds.) Knowledge, Power and Educational Reform: Applying the sociology of Basil Bernstein. London, Routledge, 44-59.

Maton, K. (2004) The wrong kind of knower: Education, expansion and the epistemic device, in Muller, J., Davies, B., and Morais, A. (Eds.) Reading Bernstein, Researching Bernstein. London, Routledge, 218-231.

Maton, K. (2002) Popes, Kings and cultural studies: Placing the commitment to non-disciplinarity in historical context, in Herbrechter, S. (Ed.) Cultural Studies: Interdisciplinarity and translation. Amsterdam, Rodopi, 31-53.

Moore, R. and Maton, K. (2001) Founding the sociology of knowledge: Basil Bernstein, intellectual fields and the epistemic device, in Morais, A., Neves, I., Davies, B. and Daniels, H. (Eds.) Towards a Sociology of Pedagogy: The contribution of Basil Bernstein to research. New York, Peter Lang, 153-182.

Maton, K. (1999) Extra curricular activity required: Pierre Bourdieu and the sociology of educational knowledge, in Grenfell, M. and Kelly, M. (Eds.) Pierre Bourdieu: Language, culture and education. Bern, Peter Lang, 197-210.

Refereed Conference Publications

Kennedy, G., Dalgarno, B., Gray, K., Judd, T., Waycott, J., Bennett, S., Maton, K., Krause, K., Bishop, A., Chang, R. and Churchward, A. (2007) The net generation are not big users of Web 2.0 technologies: Preliminary findings from a large cross-institutional study. In: Atkinson, R., McBeath, C., Soong, A., and Cheers, C. (Eds.) Providing Choices for Learners and Learning: Proceedings of the 24th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers In Learning In Tertiary Education (pp. 517-525). Singapore, ASCILITE.

Chen, R., Bennett, S., and Maton,. (2007) The online acculturation of Chinese student ‘sojourners’. In Montgomerie, C. and Seale, J. (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2007 (pp. 2744-2752). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

Kennedy, G., Krause, K., Gray, K., Judd, T., Bennett, S., Maton, K., Dalgarno, B., and Bishop, A. (2006). Questioning the net generation: A collaborative project in Australian higher education. In: Markauskaite, L., Goodyear, P., and Reimann, P. (Eds) Who's Learning?, Whose Technology?, Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education. (pp. 413-417). Sydney, ASCILITE.

Reports

Maton, K. & Bennett, S. (2010) The Role of ICTs at the University of Sydney: A report on the experiences and expectations of students and teaching staff. Office of the DVC(E), University of Sydney.

Kennedy, G., Dalgarno, B., Bennett, S., Gray, K., Waycott, J., Judd, T., Bishop, A., Maton, K., Krause, K-L., and Chang, R. (2009) Educating the Net Generation: A handbook of findings for practice and policy. Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

Other publications

Maton, K. and Shipway, B. (2007) ‘Studies of education’, in Hartwig, M. (Ed.) Dictionary of Critical Realism. London, Routledge.

Maton, K. (2006) Why theory? It’s not rocket surgery!, Australian Association for Research in Education News 56, October: 11.

Maton, K. (2004) Cultural fastfood with the Frankfurt School, Three-D: UK Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association, 1: 15.

Maton, K. (2003) Review of Robert Willmott, Education Policy and Realist Social Theory, Sociological Review, 51(4): 569-72

Maton, K. (2003) Reflecting on reflexivity, Three-D: UK Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association, 2: 13.

Maton, K. (2003) Talking paradigms, Three-D: UK Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association, 1: 6.

Maton, K. (2001) Review of Andrew Sayer, Realism and Social Science, Sociological Review 49 (1), Feb, 149-152.

Maton, K. (2001) The real and critical need of educational research for critical realism, Journal of Critical Realism, May, 56-59

Keynote Addresses

Maton, K. (2010) Reclaiming knowers: Advancing Bernstein’s sociology of knowledge. The Sixth International Basil Bernstein Symposium, Brisbane, June-July.

Maton, K. (2009) Getting clear about knowledge. Knowledge and Curriculum in Higher Education Symposium, University of Cape Town, June.

Maton, K. (2008) Knowledge-building: How can we create powerful and influential ideas? Disciplinarity, Knowledge and Language: An international symposium, University of Sydney, Dec.

Maton, K. (2008) Critical realism, social realism and the epistemic device. Critical Realism and Education: An international conference, Institute of Education, University of London, July.

Maton, K. (2007) Segmented learning: Knowledge-building in contemporary education, Explorations in Knowledge, Society and Education, University of Cambridge, June.

Maton, K. (2007) Semantic gravity and segmented learning: The problem of building knowledge and creating knowers, Enjeux Sociaux, Savoirs, Langage, Pedagogie: Actualité et fécondité de l’oeuvre de Basil Bernstein, University of Lyon, France, May-June.

Maton, K. (2004) Knowledge structures and knower structures in intellectual fields, Reclaiming Knowledge: Registers of discourse in the community and school, University of Sydney, Australia, Dec.

Maton, K. (2002) Building a Tower of Babel: Towards a social science of knowledge, Australian Systemic Functional Linguistics Association Annual Conference, Sydney, Australia, July.

Other Conference Papers (since 2002)

Maton, K. (2010) Why are some educational theories more popular than others?, Australian Association for Research in Education Annual Conference, Melbourne, Dec.

Maton, K. & Bennett, S. (2010) Leaving digital natives behind: The latest evidence and what’s wrong with the very grounds of this debate, Australian Association for Research in Education Annual Conference, Melbourne, Dec.

Howard, S. & Maton, K. (2010) A missing piece of the technology puzzle: The role of knowledge practices in the Digital Education Revolution, Australian Association for Research in Education Annual Conference, Melbourne, Dec.

Chen, R., Maton, K. & Bennett, S. (2010) A vacuum of legitimacy: Students’ experiences of constructivist pedagogy online, Sixth Basil Bernstein International Symposium, Brisbane, June-July.

Invited speaker: Maton, K. (2010) The knowledge question: A response to Bill Green, The National Educational Research Futures Summit, University of Technology, Sydney, Feb.

Bennett, S. and Maton, K. (2010) Equity designs: How learning designs can help universities meet goals for social inclusion. Seventh International Conference on Networked Learning, Aalborg, Denmark, May.

Maton, K. (2009) Inclusion is not enough: Bringing field and knowledge into the equity equation. Student Equity in Higher Education: What we know, what we need to know. (Invitation only event). University of South Australia, Feb.

Chen, R., Maton, K. and Bennett, S. (2008) Knowledge and knowers in online learning: What constructivism does to students. Disciplinarity, Knowledge and Language: An international symposium, University of Sydney, Dec.

Maton, K. (2008) Cumulative and segmented learning. Critical Realism and Education: International conference, Institute of Education, University of London, July.

Maton, K. (2008) Grammars of sociology. Fifth International Bernstein Symposium, University of Cardiff, July

Maton, K. (2008) Legitimation code theory. Social Realism and Education: An international colloquium, University of Cambridge, July

Bennett, S. and Maton, K. (2007) ‘Digital natives’, everyday knowledge and higher education: Distinguishing rhetoric and reality in the digital natives debate. Australian Association for Research into Education Annual Conference, Fremantle, November

Maton, K. and Bennett, S. (2007) Segmenting knowledge: Authentic learning and the problem of transfer. Australian Association for Research into Education Annual Conference, Fremantle, November

Maton, K. (2007) A Bernsteinian analysis of knowledge, knowers and identities in higher education: Divorce or trial separation? Australian Association for Research into Education Annual Conference, Fremantle, November

Maton, K. and Bennett, S. (2007) Questioning ‘digital natives’. Learning Technology Research Symposium, University of Sydney, October

Maton, K. and Bennett, S. (2007) Invited Speakers: Mythbusting digital natives: What’s really happening, and what does it really mean for education? Learning Futures, ANU, September

Konza, D. and Maton, K. (2006) Increasing the capacity of students with Asperger’s Syndrome to achieve across the curriculum. Australian Association of Special Education national conference, Canberra, Sept-Oct.

Maton, K. (2006) Divorce or trial separation? Knowledge, knowers and identities in higher education. British Educational Research Association annual conference, Warwick University, September

Maton, K. and Konza, D. (2006) The curious incident of the Asperger’s student in the classroom: Theorising inclusion and differential subject achievement. British Educational Research Association annual conference, Warwick University, September

Maton, K. (2006) Invisible tribunals: Canons, knower structures and democracy in the arts and humanities. Fourth International Basil Bernstein Symposium, Rutgers University, USA, July

Maton, K. (2005) Fracturing autonomy: Bourdieu and contemporary changes to the higher education community. The Australian Sociological Association Annual Conference, University of Tasmania. December.

Maton, K. (2005) Resources of hope, results of despair: The peculiar demise of the commitments of cultural studies. Discourses of Hope: International Systemic Functional Congress, University of Sydney, July.

Maton, K. and Hood, S. (2005) The languages of disciplinarity: knowledge, knowers and recontextualisation. Discourses of Hope: International Systemic Functional Congress, University of Sydney, July.

Maton, K. (2005) What is to be done? Critical realism and the sociology of education. Engaging Realist Alternatives: International Association of Critical Realism, University of Western Sydney, July

Maton, K. (2005) Last night they dreamt that somebody loved them: Fans of The Smiths in the late 1980s. Why Pamper Life's Complexities? Symposium on The Smiths, University of Manchester, April.

Maton, K. (2004) Accessing knowledge structures: Languages, literacies and the epistemic device. Third International Basil Bernstein Symposium, University of Cambridge, July

Maton, K. (2002) ‘Barbarians at the gates of Academe!’: The response of education systems to the arrival of new students. Knowledges, Pedagogy and Society: Second International Basil Bernstein Symposium, University of Cape Town, South Africa, July.

Maton, K. (2002) A little knowledge is a dangerous thing: Whatever happened to the sociology of educational knowledge? XV World Congress of Sociology: The social world in the 21st century, University of Queensland, Brisbane, July.

Invited Lectures

Maton, K. (2010) Basil Bernstein’s ‘thinking tools’, CHERTL, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, Nov.

Maton, K. (2010) Building beyond Bernstein: Legitimation Code Theory, CHERTL, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, Nov.

Maton, K. (2010) Knowledge-building, CHERTL, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, Nov.

Maton, K. (2010) Basil Bernstein’s ‘thinking tools’, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Nov.

Maton, K. (2010) Building beyond Bernstein: Legitimation Code Theory, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Nov.

Martin, J.R., Maton, K. & Matruglio, E. (2010) Historical cosmologies: Epistemology and axiology in Australian secondary school history, The Halliday Centre for Intelligent Applications of Language Studies Pearling Appliable Linguistics Seminar Series, City University of Hong Kong, Sept.

Christie, F. & Maton, K. (2010) SFL theory and semantic gravity, Systemic Functional Linguistic Research Seminar, University of Sydney, Aug.

Maton, K. (2010) Bernstein’s code theory and Legitimation Code Theory, MMSH, University of Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France.

Invited public lecture

Maton, K. (2010) Legitimation Code Theory: Sociology of education beyond Bourdieu and Bernstein, l'Université Paris 8, Paris, France.

Martin, J.R., Maton, K. & Matruglio, E. (2010) Historical cosmologies: Epistemology and axiology in Australian secondary school history, Systemic Functional Linguistic Research Seminar, University of Sydney, May.

Maton, K. and Bennett, S. (2009) Living and learning in a knowledge society, for CoCo Learning technology and learning sciences seminar series, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Nov 2009.

Maton, K. (2009) Bourdieu and Bernstein (two classes), Australian Association for Research in Education Masterclasses: The utility of theory(ies) in educational research, Charles Sturt University, Oct.

Maton, K. (2009) Two day ‘Workshop on Legitimation Code Theory’, University of Cape Town, July.

Maton, K. (2009) Theory - what is it good for? (Quite a lot, actually). Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town, July.

Maton, K. (2008) Bourdieu, Bernstein and LCT (Three seminars), Australian Association for Research in Education Masterclasses: The utility of theory(ies) in educational research, Charles Sturt University, Sept.

Maton, K. (2008) Cumulative learning and semantic gravity, Systemic Functional Linguistic Research Seminar, University of Sydney, Sept.

Maton, K. (2008) Beyond Bourdieu and Bernstein, University of Provence, Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l'Homme, June.

Maton, K. (2008) Respondent to papers, Quality research into professional practice: Emerging and continuing challenges, Policy and Professional Practice Research Network Seminar Day, University of Sydney, June.

Maton, K. and Bennett, S. (2008) Building on Bernstein to explore cumulative learning: The cases of authentic learning and school English, Griffith University, April.

Maton, K. (2006) Studies in sociology of education beyond Bourdieu and Bernstein: Special education, music education and educational technology, University of Newcastle, Australia, Oct.

Maton, K. (2006) The sociology of education beyond Bourdieu and Bernstein, University of Cardiff, Sept.

Maton, K. (2006) Developing Bourdieu to understand changes in higher education, University of Sydney, Aug.

Maton, K. (2005) Three seminars: Sociology of Education in the 21st Century: Bourdieu, Bernstein and Beyond, QUT, Australia, Nov

Maton, K. (2005) Three part seminar series: Sociology of Education in the 21st Century: Bourdieu, Bernstein and Beyond, University of Technology Sydney, Aug, Sept, Oct


  1. Seeing Education: Pierre Bourdieu’s ‘field’
  2. Analysing Education: Basil Bernstein’s codes and devices
  3. Beyond Bourdieu and Bernstein: Legitimation code theory


Maton, K. (2005) Resources of hope, results of despair: Whatever happened to British cultural studies?, Macquarie University, Sociology Colloquium, Aug.

Maton, K. (2005) Fractured autonomy: Current higher education policy in historical perspective, Institute of Education, University of London, Sociology Section Seminar, June.

Maton, K. (2005) On autonomy, higher education policy and Bourdieu, Sheffield University, Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain Research Seminar, May.

Maton, K. (2004) Bernstein’s knowledge structures and knower structures, QUT, Australia, Dec.

Maton, K. (2002) Realising Bourdieu in educational research: A user's guide, University of Nottingham, School of Education: Research Seminar Series, April.