ERIC Number: EJ1261052
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-0068
EISSN: N/A
Building Trust: How Low-Income Parents Navigate Neoliberalism in Singapore's Education System
Chiong, Charleen; Dimmock, Clive
Comparative Education, v56 n3 p394-408 2020
Singapore is described as a hybrid neoliberal-developmental state. While politicians have, since the city-state's independence, exercised 'strong' ideological leadership over Singapore's economy and society, including education -- there are simultaneously aspects of 'neoliberal' logics in Singapore's education system: extensive school choice and streaming, academic competition and the self-responsibilising meritocratic ethos. Literature on the nature and effects of neoliberalism typically depicts rising inequalities and families' growing anxieties, due to competition and self-responsibilisation. Drawing on in-depth interviews, this article explores how a group of low-income Malay parents navigate two aspects of institutionalised neoliberalism: (1) responsibilisation of young people within a meritocratic regime; and (2) responsibilisation of parents as stakeholders in an increasingly complex education landscape. We find that while families internalise responsibilisation -- profound trust in the state remains. Empirical particularities are drawn upon to understand how a socio-politically-constituted 'architecture of trust' between state and low-income parents is built, and its implications on families' lives.
Descriptors: Comparative Education, Low Income Groups, Foreign Countries, Neoliberalism, Parent Attitudes, Ethnic Groups, School Choice, Trust (Psychology), Competition, Social Systems, Family Role, Social Influences, Political Influences, Social Differences, Parent Aspiration, Educational Opportunities, Authoritarianism, Government School Relationship, Academic Achievement
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Singapore
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A