School Segregation of Immigrant Students

Abstract

IEA's International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) identifies first-and second-generation immigrants, and hence may reveal patterns of segregation of immigrant students. From a comparative perspective, these may be analyzed to provide the distribution, concentration and spread of immigrant students among schools and countries. Here three methods of analysis were employed: (1) descriptive analysis, (2) construction of segregation indices, and (3) multilevel analysis. In general, countries do not implement systematic policies to concentrate or segregate immigrant students, although there are important differences between countries; instead there is a need to appreciate strong relationships between levels of segregation and inequality or human development indexes, and consider geographical, cultural and economic factors. Schools appear to have a limited effect in transforming attitudes toward immigration.

Newly arrived vocational students’ situation in life and at school

“…The unequal balance of power seems to apply to newly arrived immigrant students when the current rhetoric (Regeringens proposition, 2015/16:67; Sveriges Radio, 2017; SVT Nyheter 2018) place them in the position of the others who are immigrants and belong to the minority in society (cf. Plenty & Jonsson, 2017;Villalobos et al, 2018). In this context, it is also important to take into account that a person can never be described as completely powerless because a person always has the opportunity to exercise some form of resistance (Foucault, 1977).…”

“…Social cohesion is about people feeling that they are part of a society and that they trust each other. However, in a society with concentrations of different groups with similar backgrounds (for example, being from the same residential area with similar living conditions), it can also lead to suspicion and lack of trust in others who do not have similar backgrounds (Bråmå & Andersson, 2020;Plenty & Jonsson, 2017;van Noord et al, 2019;Villalobos et al, 2018). Gonzalez's (2013) Mexican American study shows that white supremacy, capitalism, and white power converge to affect Mexican communities in the United States.…”