Is Goodwill Enough? Social Class Divides and Home-School Relations in Child Care

• In Event: Roundtable Session 56
  In Roundtable Session: Weaving Family and School Tapestries: Neuroatypicalities, Rural Context, and Social Class Divide Experiences

Abstract

The subject of relationships between families and schools is usually seen as important in supporting student’s academic achievement. This idea manifests in early childhood as ‘partnerships’ – the assumption that good relationships between parents and educators are desirable and achievable. This assumption assumes a shared set of goals for early education and ignores the often significant differences between those who care for children (young, economically-marginalised women) and those who use it (wealthy middle-aged couples). Drawing on interviews with both parents and educators, this qualitative research examines the taken-for-granted category of partnership, asking whether such an expectation is realistic or achievable. I argue that class and age differences, and the divergent expectations that emerge from the interview findings, make such expectations dangerous.

Author

• Yarrow Andrew, Flinders University