The engaged parent: schooling and motherhood in the contemporary economy

Abstract

This paper explores parental experiences of school engagement, set against the backdrop of policy aspirations for parental involvement in schools. We suggest that the policy desire for parent engagement imagines a certain kind of ‘engaged parent’ that does not account for foundational shifts that have taken place in the economy and associated social repercussions for families, especially concerning the gendered labour of parenting. While school engagement has become a moralised element of parenting, global economic transformations have seen increased participation of mothers in the workforce, directly impacting how parental engagement is experienced and understood. Our research, based on a s..