Social polarization has been deepening through globalization and information communication
technologies. It is also believed to be a natural global process by wave of neo-liberalistic
ideology. However, Esping-Andersen, a contemporary leading sociologist, contends that the type
of family is the more fatal factor, compared to globalization and information communication
technologies in the post-industrial economy. Because the typical family, the
'male-breadwinner-female-wife' has been transformed into the atypical family or, the dual-earner,
the single-earner, the single mom, and the workless one by the change of the women's main
role from housewife to worker, the income polarization between the dual-earner family at the
top and the single-earner or the workless at the bottom is the main source of social inequalities.
But the levels of social inequalities are various due to the kinds of state welfare regime found
by the study of Esping-Andersen. In particular, the labour-market policy and the family-friendly
one are pointed out as key factors to decrease social inequalities. These policies work for the
highest results in a social democratic welfare state regime which exists in Sweden, Denmark,
Finland and Norway. Esping-Andersen's social theory and welfare policies based on the post
industrial economy have some implications on the search for a new direction in Korean
socioloy of education of which the theoretical framework mainly is based on the industrial
society point of view.