This article discusses social justice in education, specifically issues of social equity and equal opportunities on the grounds of gender. The article explores the ways in which the Right in government in advanced industrial societies, but particularly in Britain and the United States, has tried to implement a new right-wing agenda of parental choice and standards. This is in contrast to earlier liberal administrations that sought to provide equality of educational opportunity by reducing the differences between families through parental privilege or poverty or involving mothers in their children's education. The conclusion is drawn that right-wing strategies will increase social diversity and sexual inequalities around the role of parents, especially mothers.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Acker, S.
, Megarry, J., Nisbet, S., &Hoyle, E. (Eds.). (1985). World yearbook of education 1984: Women and education. London: Kogan Page.
2.
Altbach, P.
, Kelly, G., & Weis, L. (Eds.). (1985). Excellence in education: Perspectives on policy and practice. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus.
3.
Arandell, T.
(1986). Mothers and divorce. Berkeley: University of California Press.
4.
Arnove, R.
, Altbach, P., & Kelly, G. P. (1992). Emergent issues in education: Comparative perspecives. Albany: State University of New York Press.
5.
Ball, S.
(1990). Politics and policy-making in education. London: Routledge.
6.
Banks, 0.
(1982). Sociology of education. In L. Cohen, J. Thomas, & L. Manion (Eds.), Educational research and development in Britain 1970-80. Windsor: National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)-Nelson.
7.
Baron, S.
, Finn, D., & Johnson, R. (1981). Unpopular education. London: Hutchinson in association with Birmingham Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies.
8.
Bastiani, J.
(Ed.). (1987). Parents and teachers: Vol. 1. Perspectives on home-school relations. Windsor: NFER-Nelson.
9.
Bastiani, J.
(1988). Parents and teachers: Vol. 2. From policy to practice. Windsor: NFER-Nelson.
10.
Beattie, N.
(1985). Professional parents: Parent participation in four Western European countries. London: Falmer.
11.
Bernstein, B.
(1975). Class, codes and control: Vol. 3. Towards a theory of educational transmissions. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
12.
Boyd, W.
(1991, February). Some parallels between US and British education reforms. Paper presented at the SIPS Seminar, Center for Educational Studies, Kings College, London University.
13.
Brown, P.
(1990). The third wave: Education and the ideology of parentocracy. British Journal of the Sociology of Education, 11(1), 65-85.
14.
Chubb, J.
, & Moe, T. (1990). Politics, markets and America's schools. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
15.
Chubb, J.
, & Moe, T. (1992, February). The classroom revolution: How to get the best from Britain's schools. Sunday Times Magazine [Special issue], pp. 18-36.
16.
Journal of Education Policy, 4(5), 11-27.
17.
Coleman, J. S.
(1966). On equality of educational opportunity. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
18.
Connell, R. W.
, Ashenden, D. J., Kessler, S., & Dowsett, G. W. (1982). Making the difference: Schools, families and social division. London: Allen & Unwin.
19.
Dale, R.
(1989). The state and education policy. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
20.
David, M. E.
(1975). School rule in the USA. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger.
21.
David, M. E.
(1977). Reform, reaction and resources: The 3Rs of educational planning. Slough: National Foundation for Educational Research.
22.
David, M. E.
(1980). The state, the family and education. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
23.
David, M. E.
(1989). Education. In M. McCarthy (Ed.), The new politics of welfare: An agenda for the 1990s. London: Macmillan.
24.
David, M. E.
(1992). Education reform in Britain and the United States. In R. F. Arnove, P. G. Altbach, & G. P. Kelly (Eds.), Emergent issues in education: Comparative perspectives. Albany: State University of New York Press.
25.
David, M. E.
(in press). Parents, gender and education reform. Oxford: Polity.
26.
David, M. E.
, Edwards, R., Hughes, M., & Ribbens, J. (in press). Mothers and education: Inside out? Exploring family education policy and experiences. London: Macmillan.
27.
Deem, R.
(1989). The new school governing bodies: Are gender and race on the agenda?Gender and Education, 1(3), 247-261.
28.
Deem, R.
(1990). The reform of school governing bodies: The power of the consumer over the producer? In M. Flude & M. Hammer (Eds.), The Education Reform Act 1988: Its origins and implications (pp. 153-173). London: Falmer.
29.
Department for Education
. (1992). Choice and diversity: A new framework for schools (HMSO Cm 2021). London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
30.
Edwards, R. (1991). Degrees of difference: Mature women students in higher education. Unpublished doctoral thesis, South Bank Polytechnic.
31.
Eichler, M.
(1986). The relationship between sexist, non-sexist, woman-centred and feminist research. In T. McCormack (Ed.), Studies in communication (Vol. 3). Toronto: JAI.
32.
Elliott, J.
, & Richards, M.P.M. (1991). Children and divorce: Educational performance and behavior before and after parental separation. International Journal of Law and the Family, 5, 258-276.
33.
Epstein, J.
(1990). School-family connections: Theory, research and implications for integrating sociologies of education and family. Marriage and Family Review, 15(1-2), 99-126.
34.
Evans, T.
(1988). A gender agenda. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
35.
Flude, M.
, & Hammer, M. (Eds.). (1990). The Education Reform Act 1988: Its origins and implications. London: Falmer.
36.
Fox, I.
(1986). Private schools and public issues: The parents' views. London: Macmillan.
37.
Glenn, C. L.
(1989). Choice of schools in 6 nations. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
38.
Guthrie, J. W.
, & Pierce, L. C. (1990). The international economy and national education reform: A comparison of education reforms in the US and GB. Oxford Review of Education, 16(2), 179-204.
39.
Halsey, A. H., & Sylva, K. (Eds.). (1987). Plowden twenty years on. Oxford Review of Education, 13(1), 3-125.
40.
Johnson, D.
(1990). Parental choice in education. London: Unwin Hyman.
41.
Kelly, G. P.
(1985). Setting the boundaries of the debate about education. In P. Altbach, G. Kelly, & L. Weis (Eds.), Excellence in education (pp. 31-42). Buffalo, NY: Prometheus.
42.
Kelly, G. P.
(1987). Comparative education and the problem of change: An agenda for the 1980s [Presidential address]. Comparative Education Review, 13(4), 477-489.
43.
Kelly, G. P.
(1992). Debates and trends in comparative education. In R. Arnove, P. Altbach, & G. P. Kelly (Eds.), Emergent issues in education: Comparative perspectives (pp. 13-22). Albany: State University of New York Press.
44.
Lareau, A.
(1987). Social class differences in family-school relationships: The importance of cultural capital. Sociology of Education, 60, 73-85.
45.
Lareau, A.
(1989). Home advantage, social class and parental intervention in elementary education. London: Falmer.
46.
Lareau, A.
(1992). Gender differences in parent involvement in schooling. In J. Wrigley (Ed.), Education and gender equality (pp. 207-224). London: Falmer.
47.
Lawton, D.
(Ed.). (1987). The great education reform bill. London: Hutchinson.
48.
Levin, M.
(1987). Parent-teacher collaboration. In D. W. Livingstone (Ed.), Critical pedagogy and cultural power (pp. 269-293). Basingstoke: Macmillan Education.
Maclure, S.
(1987). Education re-formed. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
51.
Mitchell, D.
(1984). Education politics for a new century; Past issues and future directions. Journal of Education Policy, 4(5), 133-167.
52.
Plowden Committee.
(1967). Children and their primary schools. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
53.
Sallis, J.
(1979). School governors: Partnership in practice. London: Advisory Centre for Education.
54.
Sallis, J.
(1988). Schools, parents and governors. London: Routledge.
55.
Silver, H.
(1990). Education, change and the policy process. London: Falmer.
56.
Smith, D.
(1988a). 7he everyday world as problematic. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
57.
Smith, D.
(1988b). A peculiar eclipsing: Women's exclusion from man's culture. In D. Smith, The everyday world as problematic (pp. 17-45). Milton Keynes: Open University Press. (Original work published 1975)
58.
Smith, D.
, & Tomlinson, S. (1989). The school effect: A study of multi-racial comprehensive schools. London: Policy Studies Institute.
59.
Sperling, G.
(1991). Can the barriers be breached? Mature women's access to higher education. Gender and Education, 3(2), 199-215.
60.
Tizard, B.
, & Hughes, M. (1984). Young children learning: Talking and thinking at home and at school. London: Fontana.
61.
Toffler, A.
(1970). Future shock. London: Bodley Head.
62.
Tomlinson, S.
(1991). Teachers and parents: Home-school partnership. London: Institute for Public Policy Research.
63.
Wadsworth, M.
, & Maclean, M. (1986). Parental divorce and clildren's life chances. Children and Youth Services Review, 8, 145-161.
64.
Walford, G.
(1990). Privatisation and privilege in education. London: Routledge.
65.
Walkerdine, V.
, & Lucey, H. (1990). Democracy in the kitchen: Regulating mothers and socialising daughters. London: Virago.
66.
Wallerstein, J.
, & Blakeslee, S. (1990). Second chances. London: Bantam.
67.
Wallerstein, J.
, & Kelly, J. (1980). Surviving the break-up: Parents and children of divorce. New York: Basic Books.
68.
Weitzman, L.
(1990). The divorce revolution. New York: Basic Books.
69.
Woods, P.
(1988). A strategic view of parent participation. Journal of Education Policy, 3, 323-334.
