The impact of working-class mothers on the educational success of their adolescent daughters at a time of social change

Current unprecedented levels of academic achievement among girls from all classes raise questions about the contemporary experience of girls in general and, in particular, working-class girls who, historically, perform less well. As the relatively low achievement of working-class girls has been associated with family culture and influence, this, in turn, raises questions about girls' experience in the contemporary family. This paper draws on findings from a recent research project and focuses on the contribution of working-class mothers to girls' achievement. Working-class families were defined as either traditional (retaining traditional gender relations) or transitional (challenging traditional gender relations). Factors which were identified as contributing to a 'transitional' life trajectoty for a working-class mother might include: the impact of employment, adult education, the women's movement and/or the experiences of divorce and lone parenting. The author concludes that while neither traditional nor transitional working-class mothers might become greatly involved informal aspects of schooling, it is clear that their relationships with their daughters strongly influence their academic experience. Mother-daughter relationship seemed to favour-girls' educational achievement in three main and interconnected ways: (a) by emphasising independence, (b) by providing emotional support and (c) by influencing girls' values in the light of current social change.