Adolescents experiences of discrimination in relation to selected dimensions of school culture a study on subaltern groups

Abstract

Schools are the replicas of societies. Therefore sometimes discrimination which exists in the society creeps into whole school culture that leads to feeling of discrimination particularly among vulnerable groups, like girls, scheduled caste/scheduled tribes, minorities. Kao and Thompson (2003) remarks that school contexts generally reflects the larger macro system of stratification where racial ethnic inequality, socio-economic inequality, discrimination are normative . newlineStudies reveal that discrimination is prevalent in our schools. Hanna and Linden (2009) in their study Measuring Discrimination in education found that top performing females tend to lose most due to discrimination. Paradies (2006); Williams and Mohammed (2009); Williams, Neighbor and Jackson (2003) also concluded that racial discrimination pervades many aspects of human life and is also considered as a risk factor adversely affecting psychological functioning and mental health outcomes for adolescents. Discrimination is practiced in schools and society which influences mental and physical health, adolescents performance, and environment of the school (Stone, and Meekyung, 2005; Madried, 2010; Hatzenhuehler, Corbin, and Fromme, 2010; and Schwatitz, and Meyer, 2010). The other variables with which discrimination is studied are Parental Educational Attainment (Sheylal, Valerie, and pati, 2010); Emotional Distress (Maccabe, J. ,2009); Ethenic Identity (Mossakowski, 2003); Dropout Behavior (Felice, 1981); psychological functioning (Sellers, Linder, Martin, and Lewis, 2006) etc. This discrimination is suffered especially by subaltern groups. Aronowitz and Giroux (1985) highlighted that the resistance to schooling comes from adolescents of the subordinate classes. The evidences above conclude that discrimination exists in our school system. newlineThere is a culture in every society; similarly schools do have its own particular cultural pattern.