A sociological research on the reasons of parents for sending their children to private schools: The case of Trabzon and Samsun

Education is one of the most important social institutions shaping individuals' futures. As the population rises and competition intensifies, parents are placing a greater focus on their children's education. Particularly, the rise in the number of students taking university entrance exams has caused parents to direct their children towards private schools with better educational conditions. The aim of this study is to examine the sociological factors affecting the preferences of parents living in the important cities of the Black Sea Region, namely Samsun and Trabzon, who send their children to private schools. Specifically, the study investigates the impact of parents' social, cultural, and economic capital on the choice of private schools. In the literature, there is a lack of comprehensive studies that explore the sociological reasons influencing private school preferences and compare two different cities. This study contributes to the literature by revealing the underlying social, cultural, and economic factors behind parents' choices of private schools. The study employs a phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents living in Samsun and Trabzon who send their children to private schools. The obtained data were analyzed descriptively within the framework of Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field, and capital (social, cultural, economic), as well as Robert Putnam's and James Coleman's social capital concepts. This study will provide a deeper understanding of the sociological factors affecting private school preferences, offering valuable insights for educational policies and school management. Additionally, it will present significant findings regarding parents' expectations from private schools and the services offered by these schools from the parents' perspective.