Invisible parenting? Middle-class choice within schools in Denmark

Abstract

When given school choice, middle-class parents are known to use various strategies that increase segregation. This has also been observed in Nordic countries despite their belief in equality and the norm of children’s autonomy. This paper presents an analysis of interviews with children from two tracks at a Danish comprehensive school. Specifically, we analyse the children’s narratives about their parents’ involvement in their choice of track. The analysis reveals parent involvement ranging from invisible to visible pedagogies. On the basis of this, we discuss whether some modes of parenting are preferable in terms of reducing social reproduction.