Negotiating Opportunities reveals that the middle-class advantage in school is, at least in part, a negotiated advantage. Essentially, this means that middle-class students secure advantages not only by complying with teachers’ expectations but also by requesting (and successfully securing) support in excess of what is fair or required. This book traces that negotiated advantage from its origins at home to its consequences at school. It follows a group of middle-class and working-class students from third to seventh grade and draws on observations and interviews with children, parents, and tea ... More

Negotiating Opportunities reveals that the middle-class advantage in school is, at least in part, a negotiated advantage. Essentially, this means that middle-class students secure advantages not only by complying with teachers’ expectations but also by requesting (and successfully securing) support in excess of what is fair or required. This book traces that negotiated advantage from its origins at home to its consequences at school. It follows a group of middle-class and working-class students from third to seventh grade and draws on observations and interviews with children, parents, and teachers. The middle-class students learned to negotiate advantages from their parents’ coaching at home. Teachers tended to grant those requests, even when they wanted to say “no.” As a result, middle-class students received the bulk of teachers’ assistance, accommodations, and positive attention. That extra support gave middle-class students advantages over their working-class peers, including more correct answers on tests, more time to complete assignments, more opportunities for creativity, and more recognition for their ideas. The book concludes with a discussion of these findings and their implications for scholars, educators, parents, and policymakers. It argues that teaching working-class students to act like their middle-class peers will not be enough to alleviate inequalities because middle-class families will find new ways to negotiate advantages that keep them one step ahead.