Abstract
In this essay, I describe some of the methodological dimensions of my ongoing research into how parents choose schools. I particularly focus on how philosophical frameworks and analytical strategies have shaped the empirical portion of my research. My goal, in this essay, is to trace and explore the ways in which philosophy of education—as a methodological orientation—may enable researchers to be attentive to the normative dimensions of human experience. In addition, I will argue that philosophically informed empirical research offers new possibilities for making normative arguments that are closely connected to the non-ideal, complex ground of actual experience.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
This is a pseudonym for the actual school district. All other names used here are also pseudonyms.
References
Arsen, D., Plank, D. N., & Sykes, G. (1999). School choice policies in Michigan: The rules matter. East Lansing: The Education Policy Center at Michigan State University.
Bell, C. A. (2005). All choice created equal? How good parents select “failing” schools. Columbia University, National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education [PDF Document]. Retrieved from http://www.ncspe.org/publications_files/OP106.pdf.
Bell, C. A. (2007). Space and place: Urban parents’ geographical preferences for schools. The Urban Review, 39(4), 375–404.
Bell, C. A. (2008). Social class differences in school choice: The role of preferences. In W. Feinberg & C. Lubienski (Eds.), School choice policies and outcomes: Empirical and philosophical perspectives (pp. 121–148). Albany: SUNY Press.
Bell, C. (2009). Geography in parental choice. American Journal of Education, 115, 493–521.
Brantlinger, E. (2003). Dividing classes: How the middle class negotiates and rationalizes school advantage. New York, NY: Routledge Falmer.
Brighouse, H. (2000). School choice and social justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Brighouse, H., & Swift, A. (2008). Legitimate parental partiality. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 37(1), 43–80.
Crozier, G., Reay, D., James, D., Jamieson, F., Beedell, P., Hollingworth, S., et al. (2008). White middle-class parents, identities, educational choice and the urban comprehensive school: Dilemmas, ambivalence and moral ambiguity. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 29, 261–272.
Dewey, J. (1916 [1997]). Democracy and education. New York: The Free Press.
Downs, A. (1957). An economic theory of democracy. New York: Harper and Row.
Elster, J. (1986). Introduction to rational choice. New York: New York University Press.
Englund, T. (1993). Education for public or private good. In G. Miron (Ed.), Towards free choice and market-oriented schools: Problems and promises (pp. 27–44). Stockholm: Skolverket.
Feinberg, W. (2006). For goodness sake. New York: Routledge.
Feinberg, W., & Layton, R. A. (2014). For the civic good: The liberal case for teaching religion in the public schools. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Fiske, E. B., & Ladd, H. F. (2000). When schools compete: A cautionary tale. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.
Henig, J. R. (1994). Rethinking school choice: Limits of the market metaphor. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Howe, K. (1997). Understanding equal educational opportunity: Social justice, democracy and schooling. New York: Teachers College Press.
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (2nd ed.). Beverley Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Labaree, D. L. (2000). No exit: Public education as an inescapably public good. In L. Cuban & D. Shipps (Eds.), Reconstructing the common good in education: Coping with intractable American dilemmas. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Lacireno-Paquet, N., & Brantley, C. (2012). Who chooses schools, and why? The characteristics and motivations of families who actively choose schools. In G. Miron, K. G. Welner, P. Hinchey, & W. Mathis (Eds.), Exploring the school choice universe: Evidence and recommendations (pp. 65–88). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Levinson, M. (1999). The demands of liberal education. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lubienski, C. (2007). Marketing schools: Consumer goods and competitive incentives for consumer information. Education and Urban Society, 40(1), 118–141.
Macedo, S. (2000). Diversity and distrust: Civic education in a multicultural democracy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
McAvoy, P. (2012). “There are no housewives on Star Trek”: A reexamination of exit rights for the children of insular fundamentalist parents. Educational Theory, 62(5), 535–552.
Minow, M. (2010). In Brown’s wake: Legacies of America’s educational landmark. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Reay, D. (2008). Class out of place: The White middle classes and intersectionalities of class and “race” in urban state schooling in England. In L. Weis (Ed.), The way class works (pp. 87–99). New York: Routledge.
Reay, D., Hollingworth, S., Williams, K., Crozier, G., Jamieson, F., James, D., et al. (2007). “A darker shade of pale?” Whiteness, the middle classes and multi-ethnic inner-city schooling. Sociology, 41, 1041–1060.
Reich, R. (2002). Bridging liberalism and multiculturalism in education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Roda, A., & Wells, A. S. (2013). School choice policies and racial segregation: Where white parents’ good Intentions, anxiety, and privilege Collide. American Journal of Education, 119(1), 261–293.
Schneider, M., & Buckley, J. (2002). What do parents want from schools? Evidence from the Internet. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 24(2), 133–144.
Schneider, M., Teske, P., & Marschall, M. (2000). Choosing schools: Consumer choice and the quality of American schools. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Sieber, R. T. (1982). The politics of middle-class success in an inner-city public school. Journal of Education, 164, 30–47.
Suissa, J. (2010). How comprehensive is your conception of the good? Liberal parents, difference, and the common school. Educational Theory, 60(5), 587–600.
Swift, A. (2003). How not to be a hypocrite: School choice for the morally perplexed. London: Routledge.
Weiher, G. R., & Tedin, K. L. (2002). Does choice lead to racially distinctive schools? Charter schools and household preferences. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 21(1), 79–92.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wilson, T.S. Exploring the Moral Complexity of School Choice: Philosophical Frameworks and Contributions. Stud Philos Educ 34, 181–191 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-014-9417-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-014-9417-4