Challenging the Dichotomy Between “Urban” and “Suburban” in Educational Discourse and Policy

Abstract

This article builds a case for nuanced conceptualizations of “urban” and “-suburban” educational contexts and issues. The author analyzes data across two studies—one of upper-middle-class White parents with children in Chicago public schools, and the other of Black low-income and working-class parents who moved from Chicago to a Wisconsin suburb. The findings suggest that monolithic framings of urban and suburban educational issues and populations can mask patterns of inequality within and across particular locales.

Key words:

• diversity
• inequality
• social class
• suburban education
• urban education

Acknowledgments

I wish to express my gratitude to Jenna Nobles and Erica Turner for their helpful feedback on earlier versions of this article. I also wish to thank all of the parents who shared their time, experiences, and insights with me as part of these two research projects.

Additional information

Funding

I wish to thank the Graduate School at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for funding both projects.