Social Equity and Clientele Participation: A Cross-National Study of Immigrant Education

• Published date: 01 August 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00953997231166001
• Author: Miyeon Song,Seung-Ho An,Kenneth J. Meier
• Date: 01 August 2023
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/00953997231166001

Administration & Society

2023, Vol. 55(7) 1369 –1401

© The Author(s) 2023

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DOI: 10.1177/00953997231166001

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Article

Social Equity and

Clientele Participation:

A Cross-National Study

of Immigrant Education

Miyeon Song1, Seung-Ho An2,

and Kenneth J. Meier3,4,5

Abstract

How public participation shapes effective and equitable service outcomes

has been extensively discussed but rarely tested in the public administration

literature. This article examines how parent participation in schools affects

overall student performance and whether socially marginalized students

benefit more or less when schools involve greater participation. Using

a 63-country cross-national educational dataset, we show that parent

involvement in school activities is not significantly related to overall student

performance, but such efforts reduce the performance gap between

immigrant and native-born students. This finding suggests that direct

participation can reduce social disparities in program outcomes.

Keywords

social equity, clientele participation, public participation, comparative public

management

1Rutgers University - Newark, Newark, NJ, USA

2University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

3American University, Washington, DC, USA

4Cardiff University, UK

5Leiden University, Netherlands

Corresponding Author:

Seung-Ho An, School of Government and Public Policy, University of Arizona, 315 Social

Sciences Bldg, P.O.Box 210027, Tucson, AZ 85721-0001, USA.

Email: seunghoan@arizona.edu

1166001AAS0010.1177/00953997231166001Administration & SocietySong et al.

research-article2023

1370 Administration & Society 55(7)

Introduction

Engaging citizens in policy making and implementation is a key element of

public management and democratic governance (Amirkhanyan & Lambright,

2017; Fung & Wright, 2001; Nabatchi, 2012; Neshkova & Guo, 2018). Public

participation involves the direct or indirect involvement of citizens, such as

in public hearings, community meetings, and citizen advisory boards, not just

simply casting a ballot (Amirkhanyan & Lambright, 2017). Advocates of par-

ticipatory governance consider public participation as a means of enhancing

government performance and accountability (Damgaard & Lewis, 2014;

Fung, 2006). A large body of research, however, has also discussed the

administrative and perceptual costs of public participation and the potential

bias in participation opportunities (Irvin & Stansbury, 2004; Moynihan,

2003). Despite our growing understanding of the role of public participation,

empirical evidence related to its effects on program outcomes is scarce. In

particular, its impact on outcome equity remains largely unknown.

This article examines how public participation affects service effective-

ness and equity, focusing on outcomes in education. Specifically, we investi-

gate how parent participation in schools affects student performance and

whether it leads to better outcomes for socially marginalized groups or alter-

natively increases disparities in outcomes. Based on the literature on the ben-

efits of public participation in public programs (Amirkhanyan et al., 2019;

Moynihan, 2003; Muhlberger & Weber, 2006), we first posit that parent par-

ticipation can increase overall program performance. Programs that engage

service users are more likely to reflect user preferences, address their con-

cerns, and increase the possibility of coproduction among service recipients

(Andersen et al., 2020). These benefits should outweigh the transaction costs

of participation and the conflicting demands of different stakeholders.

In linking public participation to social equity in our specific case, we

focus on equity in outcomes rather than in terms of procedural fairness,

access, or quality of services (Baker & Johnson, 2021, pp. 20–22). We recog-

nize that public participation can affect other elements of social equity and

outcomes through them and then argue how participation in some cases might

either increase or decrease the equity of outcomes by affecting access.

Scholars recognize that inequity in public participation exists (Clark, 2018).

Structural barriers and inequity in participation can widen the outcome gap

between socially privileged and marginalized groups by limiting equitable

access (Schlozman et al., 2012). In contrast, others argue that greater public

participation can provide an institutional venue that could amplify the voices

of marginalized groups that would not otherwise be present, leading to more

equitable outcomes (Baiocchi, 2001; Hong & Cho, 2018; Touchton &

Song et al. 1371

Wampler, 2014). Despite the extensive theoretical debate, few studies have

empirically investigated this effect of participation (see Paarlberg & Ghosh

Moulick, 2017).

This study presents a cross-national analysis of the education of immi-

grant children, a relatively vulnerable group that is present and growing in

numbers in many countries. Specifically, we focus on two important perfor-

mance dimensions—effectiveness and equity—and test (1) whether parent

participation promotes overall academic performance and (2) whether parent

participation reduces the performance gap between native-born students and

immigrant students (those either born in foreign countries or whose parents

were foreign-born). The empirical strategy involves cross-national data on

10,824 schools in 63 countries and regression models with clustered standard

errors by school and country fixed effects.

This research contributes to the public participation literature in public

management by providing systematic evidence on the relationship between

one specific type of public participation and service outcomes (Daley, 2007;

Fung & Wright, 2001; Hong & Cho, 2018). No research, to our knowledge,

has investigated this relationship using large samples and quantitative analy-

sis in a cross-national context. Our findings provide meaningful implications

for the role of the public in an inclusive, participatory system of governance

(Andersen et al., 2020; Blijleven & van Hulst, 2021; Jakobsen & Andersen,

2013). Addressing the concerns surrounding unequal outcomes of public par-

ticipation, we also examine equity as a dimension of performance and explore

whether public participation can lead to more equitable service outcomes.

Lastly, our study probes the generalizability of public participation theories;

empirical findings from 63 countries could provide compelling evidence for

the effects of public participation on program outcomes in one policy area.

The Definition, Forms, and Consequences of Public

Participation

Given its significance and wide scope, the role of public participation has been

an active and ongoing area of inquiry and debate. Public participation is a

broad umbrella term that captures “the activities by which people’s concerns,

needs, interests, and values are incorporated into decisions and actions on pub-

lic matters and issues” (Nabatchi & Leighninger, 2015, p. 14). Public partici-

pation can be either indirect or direct. Indirect participation is when citizens

influence policies via voting or donating money, while direct participation is

when citizens are personally involved in decision making or service processes

through participation in public meetings or the provision of feedback (Nabatchi

& Leighninger, 2015; Neshkova & Guo, 2018). In this article, we focus on