Parents, Disadvantage, and Educational Access

In our recent special issue entitled " Access to and Accessibility of Education Throughout the Educational Trajectories of Youth in Europe," Nicola De Luigi and Alessandro Martelli of the University of Bologna look at the role of parents in educational access. Here is the abstract of their paper, "Attitudes and Practices of Parents: Disadvantage and Access to Education" (DOI:10.1080/10564934.2015.1001259):

This article focuses on different ways in which socially disadvantaged parents engage with their children’s educational experiences, and provides evidence of the role they play in opening or narrowing their children’s access to education. Disadvantaged parents are usually associated with weak or difficult educational trajectories for their children, because of their lower level of economic, cultural, and social capital. Nevertheless, this association does not operate as an automatic mechanism. Indeed, against a backdrop of persisting inequalities, research data show a plurality of intraclass and intragroup dynamics, with disadvantaged parents having diverse ways of avoiding blaming processes, saving dignity, and acting as proactive agents for their children’s educational career.

If you would like to read the entire paper or any other content from our journal, you can find out more about subscriptions at this page.