There have been substantial changes in the way that families interact with schooling at the point of school choice. These shifts have been brought about by market orientated educational policy changes, and by altered forms and experiences of ‘family’. This study explores this changed dynamic by researching how a group of mothers in one urban setting engaged in school choice over a period of fourteen months. The research set out to investigate the processes, behaviours and influences that mothers took to the task of choosing secondary schooling for their children. In particular it aimed to explore the personal, familial, cultural and social dimensions of this engagement. These objectives were pursued using feminist and phenomenological frames because these theoretical approaches allowed for a gendered and contextualised analysis of experience. Data was gathered longitudinally through return interviews with 20 women from one socially and culturally diverse local government area in Sydney, Australia. The analysis of data is informed by perspectives on markets and consumerism from the field of cultural studies. Bourdieu’s concepts of ‘capital’, ‘habitus’ and ‘field’ were also used along with the feminist concepts of ‘emotional labour’ and ‘emotional capital’ to analyse the way that neoliberal market orientated educational policies impacted on this group of middle Australians. This research shows that the Australian experience of school choice is an emotionally rich, highly context-specific, complex, gendered and cooperative process that contests the prevailing public rhetoric about the operations of markets and of choice. School choice, while not always welcomed by this group of middle Australians, is an overtly gendered activity mostly overseen and undertaken by mothers in gender-specific ways. For these women school choice was an activity that demanded considerable physical and emotional labouring adding significantly to mothers’ work in support of their children’s education. Further, the research showed how within this new marketised context, the family became the site for the contestation of taste via the negotiation of differing economic, social, cultural and emotional capitals vis a vis the structural imperatives imposed by the market. It showed that for these women and their families in this location, at this time, the promise of ‘choice’ was a hollow promise indeed.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.103-115).

Thesis(Ph.D.)--Cleveland State University, 2009. / Abstract. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 29, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 175-183). Available online via the OhioLINK ETD Center and also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2005. / Principal faculty advisor: John Mackenzie, Dept. of Food & Resource Economics. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-74). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

The concept of educational choice is relatively new in South Africa. The majority of South African parents have in the past not been actively involved in making choices regarding the schools their children will attend. The choice of school was usually determined by legislation and most South African parents adhered to the law. Children were enrolled in schools geographically or racially assigned to them. The only choice that could have been exercised was the choice of attending a school where the language of instruction was the language that the child spoke at home. This choice was limited to white children. Families who had the option to exercise school choice, primarily exercised their right because they could afford to do so financially. In the past choice was a limited option, mainly reserved for the wealthy. Democracy opened the door to many possibilities in South Africa. One of these possibilities is the right to choose – also the right to choose where your child will be educated. School choice has become a reality in the South African education system. Christian parents are also exercising this choice and as a result South Africa is currently experiencing a substantial increase in the number of faith based schools. Christian schools form part of this increase. True Christian Education requires every action performed by the school to be based on a Christian philosophy of life, it requires that children are educated in a Biblical Worldview. Personal belief in Jesus Christ is one of the foundations of a Christian philosophy of life and this philosophy that is lived and taught by parents and educators is the philosophy children are educated within Christian schools. Parents and educators thus take hands in shaping the learner’s philosophy of life, equipping them to stand independently in the world and not independent of the world. The aim of Christian education is to make disciples of Christ, to equip children with knowledge and skills and in Spiritual Formation and Biblical Worldview to realise their full potential in Christ. The reasons why and motivation for Christian parents making the choice of Christian education for their children is the motivating factor for this research. The reasons for parents exercising this choice are evident and explained in this report based on empirical data. Literature strongly supports findings. Christian parents in South Africa are now making decisions and choices keeping their children’s best interests at heart. No longer are they sitting back comfortably being prescribed to by government; they are exercising their right to choose Christ Centered Education for their children. / Professor Tom Bischoff Dr. Ishwarie Hariprasad

Intra-district transfer policies allow students to attend any school within a district and thus may have unique consequences for stratification within a district. If parents make choices based on common academic interests, this policy can create racial and socioeconomic integration across the schools in a district. However, socially motivated choices may lead to the creation of increasingly stratified zones. This study examines one urban school district with an intra-district transfer policy to examine if the schools in the district become more racially and economically stratified under the choice policy and if the level of stratification at family's zoned schools is correlated with participation in choice. Results show that families zoned to schools mirroring the district's diverse composition are more likely to participate in choice, suggesting that more factors than simple academically-based motivations guide choice behavior. Exploration of the levels of stratification in schools with and without the choice policy suggests that the overall trend is to maintain the level of stratification present in the residential areas. Although most changes under the choice policy are small in magnitude, the changes that do occur push the district towards increased stratification.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pennsylvania State University, 2007. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pennsylvania State University, 2007. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 212-216) Also available in print.