Exploring discrimination and prejudice in education: Contributions from social psychology to the immigrant phenomenon in Chile.

Abstract

Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in the flow of intraregional immigration in Latin America (González, 2005). The educational context is not unaffected by this reality. Given the relevance for and the impact on the academic development that negative prejudices and attitudes can have for an immigrant student, this chapter seeks to answer the question about the conditions of inclusion/exclusion of immigrant children in the educational system (focusing on research within the Chilean context). Understanding migratory processes where students are involved is complex, in terms of both adaptation and inclusion. Derived from a closer look at the school world (Alegre et al., 2006), there is a need to analyze how social experiences of immigrant students, their families, their cultural positions, and dynamics help to identify multiple factors that explain school inclusion or segregation. School is perceived as an ideal setting in which to observe the cultural and relational maps that occur between migrants and nonmigrants. Thus, this chapter seeks to link theory associated with research on prejudice and the psychosocial and educational dimension of the phenomenon of immigration.

After-school sports programmes and social inclusion processes in culturally diverse contexts: Results of an international multicase study

“…Specifically, Mapuche ethnic groups for decades have suffered a significant weakening of cultural identity through school education, consistently forcing them to deny their linguistic, bodily and educative practices ( Carter-Thuillier et al, 2018 ; Caqueo-Urízar et al, 2021 ). These assimilation processes are favored by discourses that define cultural diversity as having a negative impact on educational and social aims ( Hellgren and Gabrielli, 2021 ; Salas et al, 2021 ; Webb, 2021 ; Vollrath, 2022 ), and legitimize isolation and exclusion strategies toward students belonging to immigrant or indigenous groups ( Plenty and Jonsson, 2017 ). However, according to Berry (2005) imposed assimilation from the dominant culture usually generates reactive behaviors in minority groups, which is the case of the Mapuche-Huilliches, who, for decades, have systematically opposed the policies of the Chilean State ( Zuñiga and Olate, 2017 ).…”