INDISCIPLINE AND PARENTAL PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL: HOW FAMILIES MANAGE THE TRANSGRESSION OF BOYS AND GIRLS AT SCHOOL

Abstract

School indiscipline is a recurring issue in educational institutions and involves different actors, including students, education professionals, and families. When related to gender issues, it allows for a discussion of socially constructed expectations regarding boys' and girls' behaviors and the different forms of accountability in response to the transgression of school rules. This study aims to understand how families manage situations of indiscipline involving boys and girls in the school context. It is a qualitative and exploratory study, based on bibliographic research and direct observation of the management routine of a public state school located in the city of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil, particularly in situations in which family members were called to the school due to behaviors considered undisciplined. The analysis draws on studies of indiscipline, gender, and socialization processes. The observations indicated differences in family responses, with a greater tendency to defend and justify boys' behaviors and greater reprimand and blaming of girls. The results suggest that gender expectations may influence family practices in managing indiscipline.