Beskrivelse
This paper examines how ethnic minority students navigate informal mechanisms of inclusion andexclusion in Danish teacher education. While official discourses emphasise diversity and equality,
everyday experiences suggest that symbolic boundaries and cultural assumptions continue to shape
unequal participation.
The study asks: How do ethnic minority students experience and respond to informal social
dynamics within teacher education, and how do these shape their sense of belonging and
legitimacy?
Drawing on critical race theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017), everyday racism (Essed, 1991), and
recognition theory (Honneth, 1996), the analysis explores the interplay between peer interaction,
group formation, and institutional norms. Semi-structured interviews with 20 students of diverse
ethnic backgrounds (e.g., Kurdish, Somali, Turkish, Pakistani, North African) were conducted in
Danish and analysed thematically.
Findings reveal recurring experiences of “silent exclusion,” particularly during group formation
early in the programme. Social circles, though framed as open, often remain inaccessible to those
outside the dominant cultural profile. Students report needing to prove their academic competence
before being accepted by peers—often feeling they must perform “twice as well” to gain
legitimacy.
In classroom settings, minority students frequently experience hyper-visibility during discussions
of ethnicity or religion, reinforcing feelings of tokenisation. Digital exclusion, such as being left
out of online coordination groups, compounds their marginality.
Despite some positive encounters, meaningful inclusion remains conditional and uneven. The
paper concludes that formal commitments to inclusion must be matched by interventions
addressing the informal and relational structures of student life. Lasting equity requires critical
engagement with the everyday norms that govern participation and belonging.
| Periode | 16 okt. 2025 |
|---|---|
| Begivenhedstitel | Youth and Young Aduls in a Radically Changing World: Stagnation, Continuation and New Beginnings |
| Begivenhedstype | Konference |
| Placering | Zagreb / Varazdin, KroatienVis på kort |
| Grad af anerkendelse | International |