Choosing Schools, Reproducing Family Inequality? Race, Gender, and the Negotiation of a New Domestic Task

Abstract

In this article, I explore gendered patterns in the tasks parents perform when choosing a school for their children. I analyze interviews with 18 fathers and 70 mothers in Chicago and confirm patterns revealed in these interviews with descriptive trends from the 2016 American Time Use Survey. I find that white fathers are unengaged in the school choice process, while women and non-white fathers make extensive efforts involving significant amounts of time and energy. Non-white fathers explain that their involvement is partially motivated by a desire to protect their children from the experience of discrimination. These findings provide an instance where gender inequality in white families is reproduced by both the gender and racial privilege of white fathers.