TY - JOUR AU - Jørgensen, Clara Rübner PY - 2018/07/17 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - FORKLÆDTE PENGE: En diskussion af brugerbetaling i en gratis nicaraguansk folkeskole JF - Tidsskriftet Antropologi JA - TA VL - 0 IS - 49 SE - Artikler DO - 10.7146/ta.v0i49.106653 UR - https://tidsskrift.dk/tidsskriftetantropologi/article/view/106653 SP - AB - <p align="LEFT">On the basis of data collected during fieldwork in the city of León, Nicaragua, this</p><p align="LEFT">article discusses the paradox of many Nicaraguan parents describing their children’s</p><p align="LEFT">school as being free of charge despite the fact that they are frequently asked to pay for</p><p align="LEFT">it. The article shows that, in spite of the constitutional definition of education as free</p><p align="LEFT">and equal for all Nicaraguans, parents are often asked for economic contributions. By</p><p align="LEFT">analysing the values surrounding the school I suggest that values of responsibility and</p><p align="LEFT">solidarity influence the way that parents conceptualize their school expenditures and,</p><p align="LEFT">in relation to this, confirm the status of the school as free. Furthermore, the article</p><p align="LEFT">describes how Nicaraguan parents often compare the school to their home and describe</p><p align="LEFT">the relation between teacher and students by using family terms. Inspired by the theory</p><p align="LEFT">of the American sociologist James Carrier, I argue that this comparison, in addition to</p><p align="LEFT">the values of responsibility and solidarity, further influences the way Nicaraguan parents</p><p align="LEFT">and children experience their economic contributions. Finally, I argue that even though</p><p align="LEFT">the users of the school describe it as free of charge, it remains necessary to recognize</p><p align="LEFT">its economic aspects, since a lack of recognition can turn out to have important individual</p><p align="LEFT">and social consequences for the people involved, especially, for the most economically</p><p>marginalized families.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> ER -