Assignment 1

Alienation in schools due to Race and Ethnicity

It goes without saying that alienation occurs on many occasions and reasons in every sector of

society. However, race and ethnicity is in many instances the basis of alienation at schools, as

Osler and Starkey (as cited in Ferfolja, Diaz and Ullman, 2015) points out, ‘Young people from

minority ethnic communities, refugees and other newly –arrived students are more likely to be

characterized as disaffected and are poorly served by their schools’ (p. 131). To understand

marginalisation of indigenous students and other minorities in a distinctive way and how

omnipresent it is in schools and what measures are in practical use to reduce the disparity.

Firstly, the distinction between race and ethnicity should be considered where race is more

concerned with the biological aspects of human beings and ethnicity covers the cultural aspect.

Many debates deal with how these two terms lead to people being overpowered, persecuted,

and alienated. Australia has a long history of racism that has pervaded the nation since the first

racism act, the ‘Terra Nullius Declaration’ is a lie based on British ethnocentrism, and has

especially targeted First Nations people (Cromb, 2017). CRT theory examines educational
inequality and structural racism, how policies and procedures complex school environments

and allow racially justified interrogation of inequalities.

Ferfolja et al. observe that "Ford (2013) uses the concept of ‘locked-in inequality’ to draw

parallels between the enduring educational disadvantage of Black students in Britain and the

persistent and systemic achievement gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in

Australia”. This can be seen especially in the Northern Territory, as shown by National Literacy

and Numeracy Assessment Program (NAPLAN), which for the ages 3, 5 and 9 between 2001 and

2009, shows the continuing gaps in literacy, numeracy and writing" (p. 130). In this scenario,

the gap grows as the national structure of the testing affects indigenous students directly,

leading to low self - confidence and less enthusiasm for the achievement of academic

objectives. (CRT) framework thus demonstrates how policies and procedures are in place to

protect indigenous students, but decades of collaborative efforts to improve Indigenous

learners' participation and academic achievements in Australian schooling have indeed led to

little progress. It examines the social environment that shaped the racialised fire that is still

burning in education. CRT provides the teacher and other people working with students with

the right knowledge and instruments to combat and deal with inequalities and alienation

causes (Vass, G., 2015).

Alienation occurs at different levels, such as between students, student teachers and student

administration. Based on their race, ethnicity, religion and culture, not only indigenous students

but other minorities face racial discrimination and exclusion too. Further Joseph, N., Viesca, K.,

& Bianco, M. (2016) describes Institutional racism, white supremacy, and white privilege can
become very real and tangible benefits in the context of schooling. The alienation that often

exists between the white knowledge, skills, language and arrangements privileged in school

contexts and those non - dominant populations encountered in their home environment is well

documented and contributes greatly to the persistent disparities that pervade our public

schools. It makes it clear that white supremacy or privilege is also crucial at disconcerting the

existence and confidence of students of minority groups. They are referred to as ' youth at risk '

who leave school, ' disaffected, ' disconnected ' and ' NEET ' (Not in education, employment or

training), and some teachers and other professionals who work to educate young people have

these ideologies in their minds. (Ferfolja et al.)

Contrary to the belief that racism and exclusion exist in Australia is a very small percentage

because it is said to be a multicultural society, they exists in everyday life. It is another form of

alienation and marginalisation that affects students as emotional trauma from different

cultures and backgrounds. However, to believe news stories, race hatred is increasing among

school students in Australia, especially via online and social media. Certainly, around 70% of

Australian school children have experienced some form of racism, from verbal comment to

violence, and 67% were at the school. (Halse, 2015)

Another noteworthy point is how the media play an important role in this discussion or rather

revolution, which contributed in a negative way by highlighting ‘troublesome’ youth or

‘distinctive Black culture’ as the reason for corruptive influence in British society. And the same

situation has happened in Australia. Windle (2008), for example, analyzed newspaper reports

during intense media focus on three events involving African youth between September and
December 2007, prompted by two racist attacks on two young Sudanese refugees and violent

police arrests at a Melbourne residential estate. Although the violence has harmed young

Africans, numerous references in the article to "ethnics, youth, gangs and conflicts" have

turned the victims into lawbreakers using racial based labeling (Ferfolja et al.).

In addition, the term reverse racism is used to say that White people are, in many respects,

subject to alienation or racism. Gillborn (1999) (as cited in Nelson, J., Hynes, M., Sharpe, S.,

Paradies, Y., & Dunn, K., 2018) Racism = Prejudice + Power was troubled in his work with

England's ethnically diverse schools. He claimed that, while Black people in Britain, as groups,

are relatively disadvantaged in relation to white people, Black students certainly have power at

particular moments, and he uses peer relations to show this. However, it is important to realize

that this power is often momentary and very illusory. This leads to the broader perspective that

alienation is not subject to any particular section but that it is faced at some level by every

minority group. It is crucial to watch over the persistence of racial thinking and racism, to

disregard the talk and structures which deny our individual and collective ownership of these

positions. Also find new ways of living in the world which subversive thinking and racism and be

careful that accountability is a universal social phenomenon and a precise description of all

social relations and calls us to escape the limitations of its grasp. (Halse, 2015).

Moreover, Australia is an increasingly multicultural and global society; schools provide children

with the majority of time with people from various cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities.

Teachers must create neutral spaces to speak openly about race, ethnicity, prejudice and

discrimination. It comes to light, for example, that children of color are divided into a bottom -
level group while white children are in a top - level group, which leads to discrepancy and

hierarchy and in that situation friendship is formed and even a cordial relationship is

questionable. (Pica-Smith, C., & Poynton, T., 2014).

Critical theory of race (CRT), this framework helps to recognise the contribution of society and

system in aggravating and suppressing issues of alienation, marginalization, exclusion and

racism. CRT continually strives to improve students, teachers and policymakers so that they

take the right course and increase their understanding of the achievements and advances that

help teachers to continue utilizing skills and ways (such as storytelling and counter - stories to

speak up on marginalized groups ' perspectives) of reducing alienation, exclusion and

marginalization. (Sophia Bersee, 2018)

Power and people in power play an important role in education, but their role depends greatly

on how they are used - negative, positive - and they must understand the different approaches.

Policy and legislation such as the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986, New South

Wales Anti - Discrimination Act, 1977, Racial Discrimination Act, 1975, protecting individuals

from discrimination and nuisance are positive ("A quick guide to Australian discrimination

laws", 2014). If not, it provides a sound foundation for government initiatives. At the same

time, it shows the ugly side of abuse of control over the system and society that use power to

make laws and policies merely act like external levels, while within them it is not empowered to

change and uphold progress to improve discrepancies and hierarchy.

After further reflection, my understanding of alienation due to race and ethnicity will help me

plan lessons in my core field of education, Visual Arts, to spread knowledge on this topic. The
message of equality and multiculturalism is believed to easily pass on to the students and

society through the visual arts. Enhance students ' understanding of each other and become

more acceptable for people who do not look or function like us in the artwork on the diverse

cultures and ethnicities. The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation's "Promoting Diversity

through the Arts Program" was a good example of promoting diversity in a simple and

innovative way ("Promoting Diversity through the Arts", 2009). It consists of diverse forms of

art that break social isolation and create social connections.

To conclude, the inequalities that indigenous students and other minority groups face are not

only structural, they are part of their daily lives within and outside schools, by powerful people,

peers. Racism leads to alienation, leading to poor levels of education and mental health

problems that lead to disengagement. The initiative and policies are there to deal with

structural and instructional racism, such as the National Anti-Racism Strategy 2012, Race

Discrimination Act 1975, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act (1986).

However, the system and teachers must be more rapid in order to change the minds of

students and society. Teachers encourage an inclusive school environment by empowering

ethnically diverse students. Recognizing the students ' values and beliefs also makes them feel

that they belong and that they are more likely to show a higher level of social and scholarly

commitment.
References

Cromb, N. (2017). Australia is racist - but not in the way you think. Retrieved from

https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2017/08/09/australia-racist-not-way-you-think

Ferfolja, T., Jones-Diaz, Criss, editor, & Ullman, Jacqueline, editor. (2015). Understanding

sociological theory for educational practices.

Ford, M. (2013). Achievement gaps in Australia: What NAPLAN reveals about education

inequality in Australia. Race Ethnicity and Education, 16(1), 80-102.

Halse, C. (2015). Racism in Australian schools: here’s new research that can help your school

deal with it. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education

Halse, C. (2015). Responsibility for racism in the everyday talk of secondary students. Discourse:

Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 38(1), 2-15.

Australian Human Rights Commission (2014): A quick guide to Australian discrimination laws.

Retrieved from

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/GPGB_quick_guide_to_discrimination_law

s_0.pdf

Joseph, N., Viesca, K., & Bianco, M. (2016). Black 1 Female Adolescents and Racism in Schools:

Experiences in a Colorblind Society. The High School Journal, 100(1), 4-25.

Nelson, J., Hynes, M., Sharpe, S., Paradies, Y., & Dunn, K. (2018). Witnessing Anti-White

‘Racism’: White Victimhood and ‘Reverse Racism’ in Australia. Journal of Intercultural Studies,

39(3), 339-358.

Pica-Smith, C., & Poynton, T. (2014). Supporting Interethnic and Interracial Friendships among

Youth to Reduce Prejudice and Racism in Schools: The Role of the School Counselor.

Professional School Counseling, 18(1), 2156759X0001800.

Vass, G. (2015). Putting critical race theory to work in Australian education research: ‘we are

with the garden hose here’. The Australian Educational Researcher, 42(3), 371-394.
Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) (2009): Promoting Diversity through the

Arts. Retrieved from

https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/promoting-diversity-through-the-arts