Racist harassment in the white hinterlands: the experiences of minority ethnic children and parents in schools in Northern Ireland

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28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The present article explores the nature and extent of racist harassment in predominantly white areas. It is based on a case study of Northern Ireland, and draws on data from in-depth interviews with a total of 32 children and 43 parents chosen from the four largest minority ethnic groups in the region: Chinese, Irish Travellers, South Asians and Black Africans. The article demonstrates that racist harassment is a significant problem in schools in Northern Ireland and highlights the varied forms that it can take, from overt acts of physical and verbal abuse to more covert and subtle forms of teasing and 'friendly' banter. It also highlights the central role that schools play within this. More specifically, some schools were found to respond appropriately and effectively to incidents of racist harassment among their pupils. Other schools, however, through inactivity and/or responding inappropriately, were found to not only indirectly reinforce the racist harassment that was taking place, but at times to directly contribute to it. The article concludes by stressing the relevance and importance of schools developing effective strategies for dealing with racist harassment in predominantly white areas.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)341-355
Number of pages15
JournalBritish Journal of Sociology of Education
Volume23
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 1 Sept 2002

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