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Mothering for Schooling
Griffith and Smith explore the innumerable, hidden, seemingly mundane tasks like getting kids ready for school, helping with homework, or serving on the PTA can all have profound effects on what occurs within school. Based on longitudinal interviews with mothers of school-age children, this book exposes the effects mothers' work has on educational systems as a whole and the ways in which inequalities of educational opportunities are reproduced.
172 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 2, 2014
Employing the methodology of institutional ethnography, Griffith and Smith make a compelling case that the complementary educational work performed by middle class mothers, in relation to the practices of schools and teachers, helps to promote an "engine of inequality" that exacerbates class inequalities. Based on interviews with mothers in two Canadian towns, the authors demonstrate how the all-too-often unseen work done by mothers to help support their children's education actually changes the ways in which schools function on an institutional level.
At first I was wary of some of the arguments the book was making, because they seemed to be a rehashing of the oppressive and wrong "culture of poverty" arguments born out of cultural racism. This, however, is decidedly NOT that. Griffith and Smith do suggest that middle class and working class parents display different patterns of complementary educational work, but at no point do they suggest that working class families could improve their social standing by adopting the parenting practices of middle class families. To the contrary, Griffith and Smith link these class differences to inequalities in resources, lack of access and opportunities, lack of commitment and attention from schools and teachers, and lack of time due to full-time employment. The complementary educational work carried out by middle class parents (overwhelmingly mothers) has the further effect of allowing schools in middle class neighborhoods to function differently. For example, middle class parents who can ensure that their children are consistently on time for class allow teachers in such schools to start class earlier and thus cover more content. These institutional differences were confirmed by interviews with educators and school administrators. Moreover, schools in middle class neighborhoods tend to put more effort into enlisting parents into complementary educational work. Thus, the family-school relationship forms one social relation examined in detail in this text.
This text is interesting if paired with Marjorie L. DeVault's "Feeding the Family: The Social Organization of Caring as Gendered Work."
This book might be of interest to feminists and educators, and those interested in schools, mothering practices, care work, gender, and social class.
At first I was wary of some of the arguments the book was making, because they seemed to be a rehashing of the oppressive and wrong "culture of poverty" arguments born out of cultural racism. This, however, is decidedly NOT that. Griffith and Smith do suggest that middle class and working class parents display different patterns of complementary educational work, but at no point do they suggest that working class families could improve their social standing by adopting the parenting practices of middle class families. To the contrary, Griffith and Smith link these class differences to inequalities in resources, lack of access and opportunities, lack of commitment and attention from schools and teachers, and lack of time due to full-time employment. The complementary educational work carried out by middle class parents (overwhelmingly mothers) has the further effect of allowing schools in middle class neighborhoods to function differently. For example, middle class parents who can ensure that their children are consistently on time for class allow teachers in such schools to start class earlier and thus cover more content. These institutional differences were confirmed by interviews with educators and school administrators. Moreover, schools in middle class neighborhoods tend to put more effort into enlisting parents into complementary educational work. Thus, the family-school relationship forms one social relation examined in detail in this text.
This text is interesting if paired with Marjorie L. DeVault's "Feeding the Family: The Social Organization of Caring as Gendered Work."
This book might be of interest to feminists and educators, and those interested in schools, mothering practices, care work, gender, and social class.
January 7, 2009
This was more of a skim than a read. The authors focus on the relationship between mothers and their children's schooling. The results are in some ways obvious, but studies like this are needed to show that intuition about this issue can be quantified.
What they found, is that middle-class mothers, particularly those who don't work outside of the home, contribute unpaid work towards their children's schooling and school that allows teachers more time to focus on curricular issues during class time. This unpaid labor creates inequities between schools/education. Teachers don't need to spend time (or as much time) working with children on non-curricular tasks(behavior, how to be a student, etc.) in these schools. There is more time for focused academic work.
On the other hand, working class mothers (who, for the most part, worked full time) weren't able to participate in their children's education/school in this same way. Their children's teachers had to perform the work the middle-class women performed in the other schools. As a result, they spend less time of curriculum and academics were watered down b/c of these extra duties.
Again, it all makes sense. I really don't have more to say than this was one more depressing book contributing to my academic knowledge.
What they found, is that middle-class mothers, particularly those who don't work outside of the home, contribute unpaid work towards their children's schooling and school that allows teachers more time to focus on curricular issues during class time. This unpaid labor creates inequities between schools/education. Teachers don't need to spend time (or as much time) working with children on non-curricular tasks(behavior, how to be a student, etc.) in these schools. There is more time for focused academic work.
On the other hand, working class mothers (who, for the most part, worked full time) weren't able to participate in their children's education/school in this same way. Their children's teachers had to perform the work the middle-class women performed in the other schools. As a result, they spend less time of curriculum and academics were watered down b/c of these extra duties.
Again, it all makes sense. I really don't have more to say than this was one more depressing book contributing to my academic knowledge.
December 24, 2012
This book Rocked.My.World
This is a sociology book that details how the "mothering work" - not always done by mothers, but usually - the supplemental educational work, benefits not just their individual child, but the schools and communities as a whole. This work is "invisible" and unpaid, and has class considerations. Middle class mothering also does much to position their children, particularly sons, socially/economically. Upper/middle class mothering also imparts influence on how schools are run. So not all mothering is welcome in schools, its actually quite narrow.
It just explains so much. Its ethnographical, so the n is small, and there is not much by way of numbers data.
But it just explains so much.
This is a sociology book that details how the "mothering work" - not always done by mothers, but usually - the supplemental educational work, benefits not just their individual child, but the schools and communities as a whole. This work is "invisible" and unpaid, and has class considerations. Middle class mothering also does much to position their children, particularly sons, socially/economically. Upper/middle class mothering also imparts influence on how schools are run. So not all mothering is welcome in schools, its actually quite narrow.
It just explains so much. Its ethnographical, so the n is small, and there is not much by way of numbers data.
But it just explains so much.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews