Middle-Class Families in Public Schools: From Choice to Participation Strategies

Abstract

This article focuses on an atypical reality in Brazil, little explored in the educational debate: the experience of middle-class families with children in public schools. It is grounded on the sociology of family-school relationship, more especifically, in the studies about middle-classes schooling. We collected the empirical data at a public municipal school in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, which, due to its reputation, attracts a significant number of middle-class families. We developed participant observations of the meetings held by the Family Commission, created by a group of mothers, and conducted interviews with some of them. Reinforcing international and national studies on the theme, the results show that having children in public schools stresses and tenses these parents. They seek to manage the situation by a rigorous school choice and a series of strategies aiming to minimize the risks of this option and ensure the education desired for their children.