NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1489198
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Dec
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2731-5525
Available Date: 2025-09-26
School Preferences of Middle-Class Indians: A Sociological Analysis of the Decision-Making Process
Athar Ullah1; Anirban Mukherjee2; Gerad Middendorf3
Discover Education, v4 Article 356 2025
This paper explores the school choice decisions of middle-class parents in Lucknow City, India. The study highlights the indices that appeal to middle-class sensibilities in their pursuit of choosing the best schooling option for their children. The study unearths the influence of informal social networks on school choice decisions. Additionally, the relationship that the parents share with the school and their expectations from the school are discussed. The paper reveals how middle-class parents, by virtue of having a congruence of values and desires, form a privatist community in order to maximize the educational gains for their children. The findings are analyzed through the lens of rational choice and Bourdieusian theories. The study is qualitative in nature, and the primary methods for data collection were observation and interviews. As part of the study's data-gathering procedure, a total of 20 parents were interviewed. A semi-structured interview schedule was prepared for the study, and questions were open-ended.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: India
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Department of Management Studies and Industrial Engineering, Dhanbad, India; 2Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT), Department of Sciences and Humanities, Jais, India; 3Kansas State University, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Manhattan, KS, USA