My research suggests that organizational fields are patchy and uneven. This patchiness allows organizations at the margins of fields to sidestep pressures for conformity. As a case study, this paper examines the private school field in Toronto, Canada. Data come from interviews and site visits at 60 Toronto private schools. My findings suggest that Toronto's private school field is segmented, incorporating diverse private school forms, including elite, religious, and 'rogue' (non-elite, non-religious) schools. Within one subfield -small rogue private schools -a high degree of heterogeneity exists. These findings suggest a nuanced conception of institutional fields, with more attention to organizational agency, multiple field logics and diversity among organizational forms. This paper examines how organizations at the margins of fields are able to evade pressures for conformity, and how a heterogeneous organizational field can also be comprised of clusters of homogeneity.
Dans cet article, l'auteure etudie l'éthos changeant du métier de parent en se fondant sur l'examen des magazines et des articles sur l'art d'être parent. La diversification et l'augmentation substantielle du nombre de magazines sur l'éducation des enfants dans quatre pays industrialisés d'expression anglaise démontrent une grande préoccupation par rapport à l'« art d'etre parent » en tant qu'entreprise intentionnelle. Une analyse de contenu de plus de 500 articles canadiens sur le sujet révèle un déplacement de l'importance placée sur les activités d'« amusement » vers un intérêt croissant pour l'education et le développement cognitif des enfants. En accord avec ceux et celles qui observent au fil du temps un souci accru concernant le développement cognitif des enfants, l'auteure pense que les parents canadiens sont de plus en plus encouragés à favoriser activement les aptitudes aux études de leurs enfants.
This study is an exploration of the changing ethos of parenting based on an examination of parenting magazines and articles. The substantial growth and diversification of parenting magazines in four English‐speaking industrialized countries indicate a larger preoccupation about “parenting” as a deliberate undertaking. A content analysis of more than 500 Canadian parenting articles reveals a shift in emphasis from “fun” activities to an increasing focus on schooling and children's cognitive development. Consistent with others who document a heightened concern for children's cognitive development over time, I find that Canadian parents are increasingly encouraged to actively foster their children's academic skills.
Drawing on new institutional and market theories, this article derives three hypotheses for the effects of markets on educational organizations: They (1) weaken formal structures, (2) reverse tendencies toward isomorphism, and (3) force schools to recouple and compete via performance indicators. These ideas are investigated with data on private and public schools in Toronto, which, the authors argue, is a strategic research site. The findings vary by market sector. Newer, nonelite private schools seek niches, avoid performance indicators, and dilute formal structures, while older elite schools do the opposite. Thus, market effects on school organizations vary by sector. In conclusion, the authors argue that the impact of markets on schools is mitigated by local institutional conditions. Specifically, the presumed impact of markets on educational quality may be contingent upon certain institutional conditions that, when absent, channel market forces in more consumerist directions.
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