Elaine Unterhalter

Abstract: While there is a substantial conceptual literature on equality in education, there has been little clarificatory discussion on the term equity, despite its frequent use in policy and planning documents. The article draws out some different ways in which equity can be understood in education. It distinguishes three forms of equity, looking at the social context when major shifts in the meaning of the term took place in English—the fourteenth century, the sixteenth century and the eighteenth century. Terming these equity from below, equity from above, and equity from the middle, the analysis highlights how each helps clarify aspects of the concern with diversity within the capability approach. The conclusion drawn is that all three forms of equity need to be placed in articulation to expand capabilities in education.

Key words:equality;capability approach;equity;Institutions;South Africa;Kenya

总结：1、教育中经常提到平等，然而对过程平等却较少提及，过程平等往往在政治和计划文件中很常见。

2、本文将对教育中的过程平等做不同方式的剖析在不同的大背景之下，它们在十四世纪、十六世纪以及十八世纪分别有着不同的解释与意义。

3、以上过程平等的三种不同形式理应在现代教育中得到广泛传播并实施。

来源：Stud Philos Educ (2009) 28:415–424

DOI 10.1007/s11217-009-9125-7.