An analysis of social class differentials in parent-initiated contact with teachers

Abstract

This article analyses the association between social class and parent-initiated contact with teachers. Hypotheses are derived from Lareau's theory on 'concerted cultivation' and status maintenance theory on rational educational decision-making. Data from a national survey on French students traversing secondary school are used to study social class differentials in parents' involvement in Grade 9 when students are about to proceed to an important transition from lower to upper secondary school. Linear probability models reveal that the likelihood that parents initiate meetings with the teachers decreases as student's performance increases and that concerted cultivation beliefs have positive effects.Through inclusion of interaction terms into the models, clear evidence is provided that middle-class parents are more likely to seek a meeting than working-class parents when their children face difficulties.

Meritocratic Narratives as Cultural Orientations: Explaining Child-Rearing Practices in China

“…Child-rearing practices are culturally oriented for both beliefs about hard work and ability as predictors of scholastic success. Meritocratic beliefs shed light on the rationality of parenting practices in a similar way as rational choice theories (Barg 2019). They are part of a mindset where concerted cultivation practices pay off.…”

“…Researchers from different countries have sought to explain inequality by these micro-level interactions within families beyond the context of the United States (e.g. Barg 2019;Matsuoka 2019). With some nuances, the conclusion is similar: parents transmit differential advantages to children through parental practices.…”

“…From a rational choice perspective (Richard Breen and Goldthorpe 1997), the educational decision-making of parents is based on subjective propositions about costs and benefits, as well as a desire to avoid downward social mobility. Barg (2019) uses this theory to explain the likelihood of initiative in parent-teacher contact as a concerted cultivation practice. She argues that parents are motivated by these beliefs and are more likely to become involved in behaviours that increase their children's chances of reproducing their social position.…”

Physical Separation, Social Distance, and Kinship Sentiments: An Exploration of Rural Parent–Teacher Relations in China

“…Studies in various national contexts outside China have demonstrated that parent–teacher relations regarding their children's education are likely differ based on parents' social status: privileged parents tend to engage more actively with their children's teachers than less privileged parents (Barg 2019; Lareau and Weininger 2003).…”

“…Parent–teacher relations have played a significant role in children's educational experiences and outcomes (Epstein 2001; Mattingly et al 2002). However, research from various national contexts has shown that less privileged parents face various barriers in their relations with teachers compared to their more privileged counterparts (Barg 2019; Lareau and Weininger 2003; Reay 2002). Such barriers emerge from less privileged parents' social positions, which are measured, following a Bourdieusian lens, by the volume and composition of capital, mainly economic capital (e.g., as monetary or financial assets), and cultural capital (e.g., books, cultural experiences, and educational qualifications) (Bourdieu 1986; Crossley 2011).…”