“Some dark people are really rude”: an investigation of deviance, deviation and disadvantage in two London primary schools

John-Baptiste, Belinda (2022) “Some dark people are really rude”: an investigation of deviance, deviation and disadvantage in two London primary schools. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Abstract

Proliferating societal discourses of racially minoritised people, particularly brown males, as deviant have severe and pernicious consequences for these populations. Previous research demonstrates that these discourses are prevalent not only among adults but also among children and young people of secondary school age (11-18 years old). However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on how young children of primary school age engage with these discourses and on how these discourses are reproduced and shaped by primary school practices. The aim then of this study was to increase understanding of young children’s engagement with racialised discourses of deviance and inferiority, and of the role primary school practices can play in these discourses. I carried out a two year full-time ethnographical participant observation in two London primary schools, spending one year in each school as a classroom volunteer in years 1, 2 and 3 (ages 5-8 years old). I also interviewed seventy-six pupils using visual prompts to generate the children's storytelling and discussion. I analysed the data using thematic data analysis, looking at themes that can be categorised into the following groups: deviating discourses, children’s understanding of race and racism, teaching professionals’ discourses of race and racism, and racialised academic disadvantage and advantage. This research furthers our understanding of young children’s racialisation of deviance and the role primary school practices can play. I demonstrate that despite the “sincere fictions” of young children as racial blank slates (Van Ausdale & Faegin, 2001, p.155), they internalise, (re)produce and (re)shape racialised discourses of deviance. I counter claims of a post-racial colourblind education system, highlighting that racisms deviate and disadvantage young racially minoritised pupils while privileging white and ‘model minority’ pupils. I also explore what I call Strain Intensified Disadvantage, whereby increased institutional stress contributes to a heightened reliance on a discriminatory racialised ‘ideal pupil’.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	© 2022 Belinda John-Baptiste
Library of Congress subject classification:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education
Sets:	Departments > Sociology
Supervisor:	Ali, Suki
URI:	http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/4671

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