Preschool strategies among the Saudi middle classes: mobilising capitals, negotiating cultural arbitraries and anticipating change

Abstract

Parental choices in non-compulsory pre -primary education are typically analysed in relation to dispositions influenced by class-related cultural capital. In Saudi Arabia, where early childhood education is yet to be fully institutionalised, other local socio-cultural dynamics enter in the formulation and approval of choice. This article focuses on choices and their justification expressed by a group of mothers from the wealthy Saudi middle class encountered at a private preschool in the city of Al-Madinah. The article reports the complexity of strategies of distinction in a conservative society that tends to exacerbate the weight of others on individual decisions. In particular, the protective importance of social networks is revealed when singular models of education are chosen, which, albeit promoted by the government in the name of modernity, remain disapproved of by many across the social spectrum.

Parental Involvement in Children's Online Education During COVID-19; A Phenomenological Study in Saudi Arabia

“…Moreover, the fact that she highlighted the importance of parents’ roles in the early stages demonstrates the power of cultural capital and how parents’ views are explored. In a study in a similar context, Alharthi and Lebeau ( 2020 ) focused on exploring mothers’ decisions to enrol their children in private pre-schools in Madinah. The mothers in their study were considered a minority group.…”

“…This study looks at mothers as the leading agents involved in schooling children at home, especially in primary and pre-primary levels. According to Alharthi and Lebeau ( 2020 ), mothers are responsible for deciding on the best education for their children. In their study, Alharthi and Lebeau point out that mothers play the leading role in choosing the best school for their pre-school children, as they are more engaged in their children’s learning processes, especially at the pre-primary level.…”

Investigating the Involvement of Parents in Their Children’s Education at Primary School Level

“…An online survey of parents having children (2-14 years of age) found that mothers were primarily more involved in teaching their children at home at pre-primary and primary school levels (Spinelli et al, 2020). According to Alharthi and Lebeau (2020), mothers were responsible for decisions about their children's education. Their study mentioned that mothers played the leading role in choosing the best school for their preschool children, as they are more engaged in their children's learning processes, especially at the pre-primary school level.…”