This paper explores a key dilemma of the Chinese middle class as it appears in their apparent adherence to official language policy despite their lack of direct knowledge of that policy. Using fieldwork data from Hangzhou, I show that a group of middle-class parents worked together to build an "Ancient Way Academy" for their children to…

School choice has been actively exercised by mostly middle class parents and "key" schools in many places in China, each obtaining what they want: school places and funds, respectively. The aims of this study were to explore the impact of positional competition in school choice and explore the effect of market mechanisms in the resulting…

This book examines experiences and implications of "against-the-grain" school choices, where white middle class families choose ordinary and "low performing" secondary schools for their children. It offers a unique view of identity formation, taking in matters like family history, locality and whiteness.

Research into parents' secondary-school choices suggests that many middle-class parents are keen to secure a middle-class peer group for their children. This article reports the findings of a small-scale, qualitative study into whether a similar phenomenon exists at primary-school level and, if so, why. In-depth interviews were conducted with 56…

We investigate class differences in youth activity participation with interview, survey, and archival data from a diverse sample of parents (n = 51) in two schools. Findings point toward structural rather than cultural explanations. Working- and middle-class parents overlap in parenting logics about participation, though differ in one respect:…

This article uses data from the Australian Censuses of 1976 and 2001 to measure the extent to which the children of school teachers participated in the middle class shift from public to non-government secondary schooling of the closing decades of the last century. It builds on recent work by Craig Campbell and Geoffrey Sherington on the history of…

Evaluated Parents as Teachers (PAT), parent education and support program. Assessed outcomes for parents, and for children at ages one, two, and three years. PAT homes (n=59) were more responsive and stimulating for children, and PAT parents perceived greater support from their communities than did comparison parents, but children's abilities were…

Summarizes findings of two research studies examining why British parents consider private schools or schools in other districts. Apparently, middle class parents and/or parents with academically able children are looking for high quality education, high expectations, and an atmosphere conducive to work. Some possible marketing strategies are…

This purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of parents with children with disabilities towards their children and how Mexican society treats their children. Using a focus group with a translator four middle class parents were interviewed about their children with disabilities in Guadalajara, Mexico. At a later date two other parents…