Regulation and competition among schools in six European localities
(2009) Sociologie du Travail — Vol. 51, n° S1, p. 67-79 (2009)
Files
No attached file found for this publication.
Details
- Authors
- Abstract
- According to this analysis of the dynamics of competition in six school zones in Europe (Charleroi, Budapest, Lisbon, London, Lille and the Paris area), secondary schools pursue “logics of action” that are shaped by an interdependence between local establishments. Parents’ strategies for choosing a school rank establishments and lead to a competitive interdependence with a pattern and intensity that vary depending on the place — the major issue being the capacity to attract and retain students. A typology of these “logics” is proposed: establishments pursue a logic of conquest, profit from the status quo, diversification or adaptation depending on their local position and the intensity of competition. Questions are raised about the potentials and limits of public interventions for regulating this competitive interdependence. Competition, along with its deviant effects (segregation and inequality), arises out of the shortcomings and limitations of public interventions and out of the fragmentation of local regulations. A lack of coordination between the authorities in charge, between districts and between the public and private supply of education affects the development of opportunistic tactics by certain establishments. The conclusion draws attention to the need for coordinating regulations.
- Affiliations
Citations
Maroy, C., & van Zanten, A. (2009). Regulation and competition among schools in six European localities. Sociologie du Travail, 51(S1), 67-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soctra.2009.01.005 (Original work published 2009)