Framing, overflowing, and fuzzy logic in educational selection: Zurich as a case study

Abstract

This paper uses the concepts of framing and overflowing (Callon, 1998) and fuzzy logic (Zadeh, 2015) to show the application and relevance of critically examining educational selection beyond the particular local context. It examines the empirical example of the central entrance examination procedure to grammar schools in the canton of Zurich. The main argument illuminates the widely neglected grey zones and the fuzzy logic lying at the heart of the selection machinery for higher education. This article elaborates fruitful links between the local case study and international discourses on the geography of education and educational research. It thus shows how a socio-material approach may build bridges not only between international and national educational discourse and local practice but also between academic research and a socio-political engagement that cares about young people's educational realities and futures.