‘I Just Don't Want to Get Picked on by Anybody’: Dynamics of Inclusion and Exclusion in a Newly Multi‐Ethnic Irish Primary School

Abstract

Given the changing patterns of immigration in the Republic of Ireland in the past 10 years, this article considers how factors related to ethnic and gender identity mediate children's interaction with one another in a newly multi-ethnic Irish primary school. Central to the analysis is the exercise of power between children and how the experience of inclusion and exclusion in peer relations is underpinned by concepts of sameness/difference that draw upon wider discourses of ethnic and gender identity. Recommendations in relation to classroom and school practice are made with reference to the need for teachers to take account of the complexity of children's social worlds and the dynamics of power and control that operate within it.

Irish post-primary students' attitudes towards ethnic minorities

“…As was noted above prior research has highlighted both the role of the state in shaping discourses about belonging (Devine, 2005;Tormey, 2006;Bryan, 2010;Kitching, 2010) and the role of school, academic and broader cultural, political and economic factors (Devine and Kelly, 2006;Devine, 2009) in providing resources or capital which are used in the identity construction process. The research team collected data on some educational processes and were able to ascertain their association with levels of social distance.…”

“…At the same time, there is a value in large-scale quantitative studies in that they provide us with a picture of attitudes across representative groups, that may have been indicated in qualitative research (Keogh 1998;Devine and Kelly 2006;Devine 2009;Bryan 2010). It is also notable that, despite being over seventy-years old the Bogardus scale model continues to be regarded as sound once reliability and validity data is reported upon (Brown 2004).…”

“…Qualitative research has presented us with different possibilities with Devine and Kelly (2006) and Devine (2009) 1977; 1996) found a significant but declining minority nationally who subscribed to the belief of a racial inferiority of 'Black' and 'Coloured' people. He also found during the same time period that negative attitudes towards Travellers increased (1996,227).…”

“…[sic] as well as the role of school, academic systems, broader cultural systems, as well as legislative and economic structures (Devine, 2005;Devine and Kelly, 2006;Devine, 2009, Bryan, 2010Kitching, 2010) in providing resources or capital which are used in the identity construction process. Resulting attitudes are both the product of local processes of identity construction and of resources that is used by young people in such processes.…”

‘They need to … ’: Exploring practitioners’ attitudes in relation to newcomer migrant children’s needs in Norwegian day care

“…A growing body of international research addresses how migrant children are required to negotiate a position, thus proving to their peers and day care practitioners that they are competent social actors who are deeply embedded within the negotiations of alliances and friendships and transitions between home and day care (Devine, 2009;Devine et al, 2006;Kalkman, Hopperstad & Valenta, 2015;Kalkman, Hopperstad & Valenta, 2017;McGovern & Devine, 2016).…”