ABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is twofold. At a first, theoretically informed, empirical level, it presents an analysis of the effects of educational changes over the last 20 years on the relationship between head teachers, teachers and parents, that is on the micro-politics of schools (Ball 1987). At a second, more epistemological level, it hopes to highlight the importance of combining a global, national and local perspective. The concept of ‘educational change’ rather than ‘educational reform’ has been chosen to emphasize the fact that, although many of these transformations were brought about by political decisions, they also stem from more general social and cultural shifts which have created receptive audiences for new policies (Kenway et al. 1993). Five kinds of transformations – decentralization, marketization, accountability, managerialism and professionalization – will be examined in terms of their impact on definitions of the social and professional identities of different educational agents and on the redistribution of power among them inside and outside schools. This will be done through a classical approach in comparative studies: the case study of national and local practices in relation to global patterns. Ties within the different scales will be analysed to provide a more comprehensive empirical and theoretical understanding of educational processes (Popkewitz 2000a).
