Researching parents

• Different types of parents: all have different views

  • Social class
  • Gender
  • Ethnic group
• Practical issues

  • Access = not everyone will be comfortable sharing personal views
  • Relationships = parents perception on researcher
  • Time = not everyone will be available
  • Sample size = certain groups more likely to respond
• Ethical issues

  • Social sensitivity = willing to talk about parenting styles or income?
  • Protection from harm = parents concerned about their input into children's' lives?
  • Deception = false relationships
  • Confidentiality = ensure parents' details remain safe
• Theoretical issues

  • Validity = accurate reactions from parents?
  • Reliability = parents' actions likely to be repeated by others?
  • Values = sociologists values influence interactions with parents
  • Representativeness = diverse range of parents
• Topic areas

  • Home background = cultural and material factors
  • Choices in education
  • Exclusions and discipline
  • Cultural capital
• Methods

  • Unstructured interviews = establish rapport and probing
  • Secondary sources = informing parents' decisions about schools
  • Questionnaires = large sample of parent opinions
  • Stats = useful for analyzing parental backgrounds