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Jean Floud obituary Jean Floud obituary
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Jean Floud, who has died aged 97, was one of Britain's leading educational sociologists. Her career was a triumph of brains, charm and presence over class and gender prejudice.Jean Floud, who has died aged 97, was one of Britain's leading educational sociologists. Her career was a triumph of brains, charm and presence over class and gender prejudice.
Born Jean McDonald in Ipswich to working-class parents – her father was a shoemender and salesman, and her mother suffered from frequent ill-health – she went to elementary school, then secondary school there and in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. When the family moved to Stoke Newington, north London, in 1927, she attended North Hackney Central school for girls. At the London School of Economics, she studied sociology under TH Marshall, David Glass, Morris Ginsberg and Karl Mannheim, graduating in 1936. Two years later she married an upper-class communist, Peter Floud, then starting a curatorship at the Victoria and Albert Museum, by whom she had three children, Andrew, Frances and Esther. It was in his leftwing upper-class milieu that she shed the traces of her origins. She was born Jean McDonald in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. Her father was a shoemender and salesman; her mother suffered from frequent ill-health. Jean went to local primary and secondary schools. When the family moved to Stoke Newington, north London, in 1927, she attended North Hackney Central school for girls.
Jean's academic work was largely a reflection on her childhood experiences. After working as the assistant director of education in Oxford (1940-46), she returned to the LSE and taught there and at the Institute of Education (1947-62). With AH Halsey and FM Martin, she wrote Social Class and Educational Opportunity (1956). With Halsey and C Arnold Anderson, she followed this with Education, Economy, and Society: A Reader in the Sociology of Education (1961), which put the discipline on the map. At the London School of Economics, she studied sociology under David Glass, TH Marshall, Morris Ginsberg and Karl Mannheim, graduating in 1936. Two years later she married an upper-class communist, Peter Floud, then starting a curatorship at the Victoria and Albert Museum, with whom she had three children, Andrew, Frances and Esther. It was in his leftwing upper-class milieu that she shed the traces of her working-class origins.
The importance of the first book was that it demonstrated that the supposedly class-neutral 11-plus exam for grammar school entrance was biased against working-class children. Jean pointed out that "within wide limits, the educability of children is determined by the subtle interaction of the social influences of home and school". This conclusion effectively killed off the claim that the 11-plus was "culture-blind". It has set the terms of the educational debate ever since. But Jean was not specifically an advocate of comprehensive schools. In fact, she was never particularly interested in politics, turning down a life peerage offered to her by James Callaghan. Jean's academic work was largely a reflection on her childhood experiences. After working as the assistant director of education in Oxford (1940-46), she returned to the LSE and taught there and at the Institute of Education (1947‑62). With AH Halsey and FM Martin, she wrote Social Class and Educational Opportunity (1956). With Halsey and C Arnold Anderson, she followed this with Education, Economy, and Society: A Reader in the Sociology of Education (1961), which put the discipline on the map.
Peter's death from a brain tumour in 1960 brought Jean's London life to a close, and two years later, a single mother with three school-age children, she was made a fellow in sociology at Nuffield College, Oxford, only the second woman to be elected to a fellowship there. With Peter, Jean had moved up a social class; at Oxford, she moved up an intellectual class. She gave up empirical sociology; Isaiah Berlin, the legal philosopher Herbert Hart and the economist Ian Little became close friends. But the fact that she saw herself as the "token woman" in a heavily masculine college may have affected her intellectual confidence. The importance of the first book was that it demonstrated that the supposedly class-neutral 11-plus exam for grammar school entrance was biased against working-class children. Jean pointed out that "within wide limits, the educability of children is determined by the subtle interaction of the social influences of home and school". This conclusion effectively killed off the claim that the 11-plus was "culture-blind". It has set the terms of the educational debate ever since.
However, Jean was not specifically an advocate of comprehensive schools. In fact, she was never particularly interested in politics, turning down a life peerage offered to her by James Callaghan.
Peter's death from a brain tumour in 1960 brought Jean's London life to a close, and two years later, a single mother with three school-age children, she was made a fellow in sociology at Nuffield College, Oxford, only the second woman to be elected to a fellowship there. With Peter, Jean had moved up a social class; at Oxford, she moved up an intellectual class. She gave up empirical sociology, and Isaiah Berlin, the legal philosopher Herbert Hart and the economist Ian Little became close friends. But the fact that she saw herself as the "token woman" in a heavily masculine college may have affected her intellectual confidence.
In any case, her critical powers were always stronger than her creative ones. A book she wrote on the sociology of law was left unpublished at her death; so were six superb lectures on Max Weber, Jürgen Habermas and Niklas Luhmann that she delivered at Warwick University.In any case, her critical powers were always stronger than her creative ones. A book she wrote on the sociology of law was left unpublished at her death; so were six superb lectures on Max Weber, Jürgen Habermas and Niklas Luhmann that she delivered at Warwick University.
Her one substantial later publication, with Warren Young, was a report on Dangerousness and Criminal Justice (1981), the product of her chairmanship of a working party set up by the Howard League for Penal Reform. It advocated preventive sentencing based on past criminal records and clinical assessments. Her one substantial later publication, with Warren Young, was a report on Dangerousness and Criminal Justice (1981), the product of her chairmanship of a working party set up by the Howard League for Penal Reform. It advocated preventive sentencing based on past criminal records and clinical assessments.
Jean's membership of the Franks committee on the reform of Oxford University led, in 1972, to an invitation to became principal of Newnham College, Cambridge. She was soon active in university affairs and the college benefited from the raised academic and political profile which this brought. With great style, she made the principal's lodge a welcoming space for splendid and stimulating parties for teachers and students alike, her warmth, curiosity and the twinkle in her eye dissolving the barriers of position, age and class. Jean's membership of the Franks committee on the reform of Oxford University led, in 1972, to an invitation to became principal of Newnham College, Cambridge. She was soon active in university affairs and the college benefited from the raised academic and political profile that this brought. With great style, she made the principal's lodge a welcoming space for splendid and stimulating parties for teachers and students alike, her warmth, curiosity and the twinkle in her eye dissolving the barriers of position, age and class.
After leaving Newnham in 1983, Jean retired to Oxford. She travelled and continued to serve on university committees, but spent more and time with her friends, her books, her music, and above all with the families of her two daughters Frances and Esther. After leaving Newnham in 1983, Jean retired to Oxford. She travelled and continued to serve on university committees, but spent more and more time with her friends, her books, her music, and above all with the families of her two daughters Frances and Esther.
I first got to know Jean when I was at Nuffield in the 1960s, and our friendship – which came to embrace my wife and young children – continued undiminished till the end. One was aware of the struggles she had had to make and the tragedies she had endured: Andrew was killed in a plane crash in 1982. I first got to know Jean when I was at Nuffield in the 1960s, and our friendship – which came to embrace my wife and young children – continued undiminished till the end. One was aware of the struggles she had had to make and the tragedies she had endured: Andrew was killed in a plane crash in 1982.
Jean was uncompromisingly highbrow in her tastes, but with family and friends her severe intellectual facade collapsed into gossip and banter, with much laughter, sometimes occasioned by her own mishaps. She is survived by her daughters. Jean was uncompromisingly highbrow in her tastes, but with family and friends her severe intellectual facade collapsed into gossip and banter, with much laughter, sometimes occasioned by her own mishaps. She is survived by her daughters.
• Jean Esther Floud, sociologist, born 3 November 1915; died 28 March 2013• Jean Esther Floud, sociologist, born 3 November 1915; died 28 March 2013
• This article was amended on 4 April 2013. The web version initially said that Floud was born in Ipswich.