The neoliberal transformation of education and parenting in Turkey
Yükleniyor...
Tarih
2019
Yazarlar
Dergi Başlığı
Dergi ISSN
Cilt Başlığı
Yayıncı
İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi
Erişim Hakkı
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Özet
İnsani gelişim ölçütlerinin geleneksel göstergelerine bakıldığında eğitim hedeflerine ulaşılması konusunda azımsanamayacak bir ilerleme kaydedildiğini görülmektedir. Okur-yazarlık düzeyleri ve temel eğitime erişimi olan nüfusun yüzdesi 1950’lerden bugüne çarpıcı ölçüde artmıştır. Ancak bu süreç 1980’lerde sosyal devletin gerilemesiyle birlikte eğitimin metalaşmasına ve eğitimin bir vatandaşlık hakkı olarak değil de bireysel tüketim ürünü olarak algılanmaya başlanmasına tanıklık etmiştir. Eğitimde neoliberalleşmenin etkilerine odaklanan yaklaşımları eleştirenler neoliberal reformlar yapılan diğer alanlarla karşılaştırıldığında eğitimdeki özelleştirmenin sınırlı kaldığını iddia etmektedir. Bu tez bilakis eğitimdeki neoliberal dönüşümün okulların özelleştirilmesinin ötesinde olduğunu savunarak neoliberal dönüşümü eğitimle ve ebeveynlikle ilgili algıları bireyleri piyasanın ihtiyaçlarına göre hazırlama görüşü etrafında şekillendiren daha geniş bir süreç olarak kavramsallaştırmaktadır. Çalışma özel okulların sayısının sınırlı kalmasına rağmen neoliberal politikaların Türkiye’deki eğitim ve ebeveynli algılarını değiştirip değiştirmediğini anlamayı hedeflemektedir. Bu hedef doğrultusunda piyasayla ilgili vasıflardan ziyade okuma yazmayı öğrenme ve temel matematik becerilerini edindirmeyi amaçlayan ilkokul eğitimine odaklanılmaktadır. Benzer sosyo-ekonomik özelliklere sahip ve kültürel-gelir bakımından benzer semtlerde oturan ailelerin ilkokul tercihleri incelenmektedir. Neden bazı aileler evlerinin yakınında kaliteli eğitim veren devlet okulları mevcut olduğu halde çocuklarını özel ilkokullara göndermektedir? Öte yandan neden bazı aileler çocuklarını özel ilkokullara gönderebilecek gelire sahipken devlet okullarını tercih etmektedir? Bu iki grup ailenin eğitim ve ebeveynlikle ilgili algıları arasında ne tür benzerlik ve farklılıklar gözlemlenmektedir? Derinlemesine görüşmeler yoluyla yapılan araştırma eğitim alanındaki özelleştirmenin sınırlı kalmasına rağmen neoliberal politikaların Türkiye’de eğitim ve ebeveynlikle ilgili algıları değiştirdiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Çocuklarını ilkokulda özel okula gönderen ailelerle devlet okuluna gönderen ailelerin eğitim ve ebeveynlikle ilgili algılarının benzer olduğu; her iki grubun da piyasanın ihtiyaçlarına uygun bir eğitim süreci beklentisine sahip olduğu; ancak farklı yöntemlerle hareket ettikleri görülmektedir.
It appears that there has been substantial progress in the attainment of the educational goals at a global scale on the basis of the conventional indicators of human development measures. Literacy levels and the percentage of the population which has access to the basic education improved dramatically since the 1950s. However, the same period has also witnessed commodification of the education and the rise of the perception of education not as a right stemming from citizenship but as an individual consumption item with the retreat of the welfare state after 1980s. Critiques of the approaches which focus on the impacts of the neoliberalization of education claim that privatization remained limited in the area of education compared to the other sectors subject to neoliberal reforms. This thesis, on the contrary, argues that neoliberal transformation of education goes beyond privatization of schools; and conceptualizes neoliberal transformation as a wider process, which shapes the perceptions of education and parenting around the notion of preparing the individuals to the necessities of the market. It tries to understand whether neoliberalization policies indeed changed the perceptions of education and parenting in Turkey although the number of private schools remained limited. In accordance with this objective, it focuses on the primary education, which aims to teach how to read, write, and convey basic mathematical skills rather than market-related qualifications. It analyzes the primary school preferences of families with similar socio-economic profiles and living in the neighborhoods with similar cultural and income levels. Why do some parents send their children to the private primary schools despite the availability of qualified public schools in their vicinity? With the same coin, why do some parents prefer the public schools although they can afford private primary schools? What are the similarities and differences between these two groups of families in terms of their perceptions of education and parenting? Research based on in-depth interviews indicate that neoliberal policies indeed changed the perceptions of education and parenting in Turkey despite the fact that privatization in education remained relatively limited. It is observed that the perceptions of education and parenting are similar among the private school and public school parents; that both groups have expectations from education compatible with the market requirements yet they choose different mechanisms.
It appears that there has been substantial progress in the attainment of the educational goals at a global scale on the basis of the conventional indicators of human development measures. Literacy levels and the percentage of the population which has access to the basic education improved dramatically since the 1950s. However, the same period has also witnessed commodification of the education and the rise of the perception of education not as a right stemming from citizenship but as an individual consumption item with the retreat of the welfare state after 1980s. Critiques of the approaches which focus on the impacts of the neoliberalization of education claim that privatization remained limited in the area of education compared to the other sectors subject to neoliberal reforms. This thesis, on the contrary, argues that neoliberal transformation of education goes beyond privatization of schools; and conceptualizes neoliberal transformation as a wider process, which shapes the perceptions of education and parenting around the notion of preparing the individuals to the necessities of the market. It tries to understand whether neoliberalization policies indeed changed the perceptions of education and parenting in Turkey although the number of private schools remained limited. In accordance with this objective, it focuses on the primary education, which aims to teach how to read, write, and convey basic mathematical skills rather than market-related qualifications. It analyzes the primary school preferences of families with similar socio-economic profiles and living in the neighborhoods with similar cultural and income levels. Why do some parents send their children to the private primary schools despite the availability of qualified public schools in their vicinity? With the same coin, why do some parents prefer the public schools although they can afford private primary schools? What are the similarities and differences between these two groups of families in terms of their perceptions of education and parenting? Research based on in-depth interviews indicate that neoliberal policies indeed changed the perceptions of education and parenting in Turkey despite the fact that privatization in education remained relatively limited. It is observed that the perceptions of education and parenting are similar among the private school and public school parents; that both groups have expectations from education compatible with the market requirements yet they choose different mechanisms.
