"Where You Belong”: Ease and Privilege in Choosing the Local Public School in Copenhagen

• In Event: Parental Choice, Marketing, and the Challenge of Equity in School Choice Contexts

Abstract

Across global cities, gentrification of privileged white families has created opportunities for school integration with historically minoritized students, but also comes with significant costs. Our research explored the reasons why white Danish parents chose local schools in gentrifying neighborhoods in Copenhagen. Findings show that parents opted-in due to successful marketing and recruitment efforts, tradition and values, and for social capital, convenience, and diversity demonstrating an ease of privilege and a happiness-oriented mindset in their choices. However, while this created some school integration, with this, new issues have arisen.

Authors

• Molly V. Makris, Guttman Community College - CUNY

• Allison Roda, Molloy University

• Mira C. Debs, Yale University

• Rikke Skovgaard Nielsen, Aalborg University