Diversity, Social Justice & Learning

Assessment 1
Choose one contemporary social justice issue currently being focused upon in
the media such as sexuality, gender, language, refugees or ethnicity and
discuss how Australian schools are meeting the challenge of equity and
access for minority groups.

1. Clearly identify the social justice issue/s – Ethnicity 200 words

Ethnicity has acquired various meanings suggesting that there is no one

description of what ethnicity actually is. This social justice issue differentiates
between numerous individuals sharing much identification of what their
ethnicity is and how they perceive it. Gjerde (2014) argues, “Ethnicity
emerges in social contexts where groups are culturally adjacent and enter into
frequent contact with each other.” Groups displaying idiosyncratic differences
might share similarities regarding to their differences if common interaction
increases (Eriksen, Amit, & Mitchell, 2010). Thus, ethnicity is established
through social contact and comparable differences between groups.

Individuals as insiders and outsiders generally label the dissimilarities

between their ethnicities. Insiders: that is being apart of the group, and
outsiders: that is not being apart of the group but instead another group
(Eriksen, Amit, & Mitchell, 2010). The existence of this attitude creates
ethnicity, which assumes a traditional relationship between distinct groups
whose members consider each other to be idiosyncratic.

Literature found by Wilson & Rodkin (2013) has revealed children to favour
peers with the same ethnicity as friends, which relationship becomes stronger
during middle childhood and adolescence.

Acceptance is consistently linked to assertiveness, prosocial behaviour, and

positive adjustment to school and is negatively associated with externalizing
symptoms. Rejection, in contrast, is positively associated with externalizing
symptoms and academic difficulties and is negatively associated with
prosocial behaviour; moreover, being rejected by peers during middle
childhood is a powerful predictor of subsequent maladjustment during
adolescence (Wilson & Rodkin, 2013)

2. Discuss how forces of equity and access influence student’s life

chances – 200 words

Equity in higher education can have several meanings. From an economic

perspective, it implies that all potential students with eligible qualifications and
aptitudes should have access to higher education, irrespective of their
financial capacity (Jacobs and Van Der Ploeg 2006). Another perspective
relates to equality of participation across ethnicities or socio-economic bands
(Harper et al. 2009). This standpoint argues that the student body in higher
education should reflect the distribution of socioeconomic status (SES) and
ethnicity/race within the population from which the student body is drawn
(Astin and Oseguera 2004; Harper et al. 2009; Niemann and Maruyama 2005;
Harris 1999). Wang & Shulruf (2013).

An approach toward achieving equity in higher education is the ‘‘Open

Admission’’ policy. This allows all applicants who meet the minimum university
requirements to enroll in an academic program, but to compete for retention in
the program, normally based on their 1st year GPA. As a result, the number of
students from under-represented groups has greatly increased. However, a
major challenge of this policy concerns the huge number of students enrolled
in a program’s 1 st year courses and the consequent high failure rate, or non-
enrollment into year two. For many, this means the loss of a full academic
year and significant financial burden, particularly for the students from low
income families. Wang & Shulruf (2013).

Virtuous, well-informed discriminatory judgments are required, and such

judgments require knowledge of the social realities in which each newborn
has been living with life prospects, race, and ethnicity included The same
principle applies when people consider nurturing the souls of citizen-children
through formal education. However,there is widespread uneasiness with, and
active opposition to, using favoring discriminating judgments as a basis for
proposing and implementing efforts to devise, select for, and assess
educational programming for students from population groups identified by
race and ethnicity, whose lives and life chances continue to be constrained by
forces of disfavoring discrimination; or to deliberately selectstudents from
such groups for access to highly sought-after and scarce educational
opportunities and benefits that, for centuries, were the nearly exclusive right of
racial and ethnic groups that have benefited from invidious favoring
discriminations. Here, too, objectors among the long-favored (and some
among the long-disfavored) charge unfair discrimination:
favoring students selected, supposedly, simply because of their race
and ethnicity, while disfavoring more qualified students who are not members
of the racial or ethnic groups that are now purportedly being favored for
retributive and distributive justice. (Outlaw, 2014)

Students’ perceptions of differential treatment, exclusion, and discrimination

by teachers and other adults in school appear to play a role in poor outcomes
among youth of color in school. For example, perceived discrimination has
been linked with mental health problems, including antisocial behavior (Bogart
et al. 2013), depression, and low self-esteem (Zeiders et al. 2012).
Conversely, research on school climate suggests that perceived school
equity, which includes dimensions of fairness and inclusiveness [Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2008], may positively
influence students’ sense of connectedness and academic motivation in
school (Debnam et al. 2014). Adolescents’ perceptions of fairness in the
school environment can enhance both students’ sense of competence (Elliot
and Dweck 2005) and connectedness (Lowman 1984).
Existing conceptualizations of school support such as the dynamic model of
motivational development (Skinner and Pitzer 2012) and the youth
development and resiliency model (Hanson and Kim 2007) have not included
dimensions reflecting students’ perceptions of equity. Thus, there has been
limited research exploring fairness and inclusion as a component of school
support. Bottiani, Bradshaw, & Mendelson (2016).

3. Use sociological theories to explain power imbalances in educational

contexts – 200 words

Functionalist Theory (Functionalism)

 The functionalist paradigm (theory, model) is the dominant framework for
the conduct of academic sociology and the study of organizations. It
represents a perspective that is firmly rooted in the sociology of
regulations and approaches its subject matter from an objectivist point
of view. It is characterized by a concern for providing explanations of
the status quo, social order, social integration, solidarity, need
satisfaction, and actuality
 In this paradigm, society is a stable, and an interconnected whole with
the parts such as schools, courts, and prisons functioning to maintain
cohesion and stability. A society perceived in this functionalism—
structuralism perspective may change the parts of the systems, but it is
expected to do so gradually as it adapts to new circumstances to reach
new forms of equilibrium and integration. In the discourse of a stable
and interconnected whole, the perception of a disintegrative tendency
is ‘‘dysfunctional.’’ Thus, people who question and challenge the
system may be perceived as threatening social order and equilibrium.
Depending on how social order is constructed, issues raised in
multicultural education discourse or any critical examination of the
system of education may be perceived as dysfunctional, hence the
automatic tendency to silence multicultural perspectives in social
systems and especially in schools.
 The functionalist view of education suggests that children can be taught
general cognitive skills in reading, writing, mathematics or critical
thinking if these skills are disengaged from praxis (practice, as
distinguished from theory).
 The fact that social contexts are detached from school practices and
processes explains the objectivist perspective in schooling. A
functionalist paradigm seeks to provide essentially rational
explanations of social affairs. This paradigm is also committed to a
philosophy of social engineering as a basis for social change by
emphasizing the importance of understanding order, equilibrium, and
stability in society and also internalizing the ways in which these can be
maintained.
 A multicultural education perspective understood through the
functionalist paradigm skirts around the very problem it seeks to
address: racism. To that end, the historical legacies of race and racism
are under-theorized, muted and marginalized in public discourse
 (Gatimu, 2009)

Critical Theory
 education theorists have enthusiastically taken up Critical Race Theory
as a theoretical lens to critique any number of perplexing topics within
 education. These analyses and CRT's application in the field of
education are aligned with Freire's (1970) contention that schools are
sites of the struggle for justice fueled by "critical hope." McLaren's
(1989) conclusion on the role of critical theory in education concurs:
schools as sites of both domination and liberation....this dialectical
understanding of schooling also brushes against the grain of
mainstream educational theory, which conceives of schools as mainly
providing students with the skills and attitudes necessary for becoming
patriotic, industrious, and responsible citizens...critical theories must be
partisan, that is tied to the struggle for a qualitatively better life for all
through the construction of a society based on nonexploitative relations
and social justice, (p.171)
 Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY:
Seabury Press.
 McLaren, P., (1989). Life in schools: an introduction to critical
pedagogy in the foundations of education. New York: Longman
 Summarizing CRT's expansion into education, Ladson-Billings likens it
to that of a maturing teenager, "growing rapidly in unpredictable and
surprising ways, awkward yet full of promise" (Ladson-Billings, 2006, p.
vi). Its viability as a theoretical construct has expanded beyond U.S.
borders and 'is now a bourgeoning field of enquiry" in the United
Kingdom (Cole, 2009) and Canada. Several widely-read academic
journals (e.g. Education Administration Quarterly, Qualitative Inquiry)
have dedicated complete editions to CRT's application in the field of
educational policy, practice and research (Parker, 2003), and many
graduate schools of education have well-attended courses centering
CRT.
 Critical Race Theory has as its ultimate goal the active, accelerated
transformation of all inequitable aspects of society through social
justice, not only by critically examining race and racism as social
constructs, but also through proposals constructed with the purpose of
catalyzing that transformation. This "elimination of racial oppression as
a part of the broader goal of ending all forms of oppression" (Matsuda
et. al, 1993), calls for an activist and pragmatic agenda. CRT's
pragmatic orientation undergirds an assumption that an interest
convergence exists wherever racial or social progress is made.
 An essential component of Critical Race Theory's critique of the
institution of public schools is that it is constructed on the "myth of
meritocracy," a fundamental belief that those students who excel do so
based solely on their own merit.
 Critical Race Theory recognizes that race and racism work with and
through gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality and/or nation as systems of
power, contemporary critical race theory often relies upon and/or
investigates these intersections
 (Blanford, 2011).

Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic interactionism contrasts markedly with theories that claim that
human behaviour is determined by structural forces in society (Woods,
1992). Interactionism emphasises the person as a constructor and creator
who continually interacts with the world being influenced by and influencing
structures (Woods, 1992).
Symbolic interactionism stresses individual interactions with significance
others as crucial in socialisation (Pavalko, 1971).
(Potts, 2015).

The symbolic interactionist view emphasizes meaning constructions and

understanding through continual ‘‘inter-actions’’ between people in diverse
situations—it is not a reflex action, an unreflective or unreflexive response
(Blumer 1962). Rather, individuals are regarded as reflexive agents acting
through praxis.
symbolic interactionism emphasizes interactions between people. The face-
to-face social encounters happening in this world are constitutive of
interaction order
social interaction is not a forum or the means for expressing pre-existing
manners of human conduct or behavior, but a process forming human
conduct or behavior. For example, children and adolescents tend to conform
to group norms (Duffy and Nesdale 2009) and participate in bullying or
aggression under social influence in order to retain group membership (Adler
and Adler 1998) or increase social status in schools (Faris and Felmlee 2011).
A response is thus not made directly to the actions per se, but the meanings
attached to actions. The judgment of other people’s perception could shape
one’s selfconception
human subjects in the symbolic interactionist view are perceived as acting
units who have agency in the creation and interpretation of meaning.
However, individuals sometimes do not act or are acted upon by multiple
factors. They do not represent a rational, self-centered, autonomous, or
individualistic entity. Rather, they are viewed as Symbolic interactionist
analysis of STEM’s teacher experience 545 123 human beings possessing a
‘‘self’’ (Mead 1934) such that they become an object of their own actions
taking an external position looking inward to examine their roles as discrete
individuals, team players, or some general ‘‘other’’ constantly adjusting and
organizing in social interaction in relation to others. Blumer (1969) described
this ‘‘self’’ as a ‘‘social self’’ in which an individual makes indications to oneself
about an object and gives meaning to it when consciously thinking and
performing an act.
objects or products of symbolic interactionism are ‘‘objects’’ that can be
indicated, pointed to, or referred to. Common objects emerge from the
process of mutual indication and carry the same meaning when understood
and perceived in the same way by the group of individuals. Individuals first
identify the objects for interpretations then select, check, suspend, reorganize,
and convert meanings in light of the social context, emergent self-interaction,
intergroup exchanges, and direction of the line of action. Hence, the line of
action changes through this formative process of defining the world of objects.
symbolic interactionism frames action as interlinked. In social action, human
beings would fit their lines of action to each other in order to be ‘‘in-line’’, that
is, mutually understood. This horizontal linkage is the basis of the joint action
in the social organization of conduct of diverse individuals. Each discrete
individual in the larger organization engages in the localized process of self-
indication and interpretation as they define their situations to create, form,
use, or change meanings, but their separate acts are interlinked to form an
aggregated joint action which in turn are extensions of the individual actions.
Teachers, students, and other stakeholders form discrete entities of the larger
academic institution, but their actions are never independent of others’ as the
educational process is a social process and necessarily entails collaborative
efforts in different areas
To summarize, in the symbolic interactionist view, the social actor is an active
organizer or acting unit of constructed action in a situation in which he or she
handles and tries to work out a line of action. Inherent in the symbolic
interactionist view is the idea of agency to make change. This is key in
distinguishing analyses based upon symbolic interactionist viewpoints from
theories of cultural reproduction [e.g., Pierre Bourdieu’s (1977) habitus theory]
which argue that dominant rules and ideologies legitimize and perpetuate the
ruling class, power, and structure.
(Teo & Osborne, 2012).

Marxism
 Marxism was a dream to change Capitalism (Kagarlitsky, 1999, p. 63). In
classical sense, therefore, Marxism is there when Capitalism is there.
 Future of Marxism is in sharing good principles with Capitalism.
 Marx itself portrays history as a progressive process (Sayers, 1998, p.
145). It is argued that Marxism is reduced to theory and has become
more and more the affair of intellectuals (Pierson, 2001, p. 179). There
are characteristics that can be shared as Somerville (2005) presents
that although the specific characteristics of the struggles between
classes may be different for obvious reasons as compared to
capitalism, the Marxist holds that the same point applies, in the sense
that these struggles too are independent of the will of the persons
involved, once the economic relationship has been entered into.
 Marxism categorically identifies three main problems in capitalism and
those are inefficiency, exploitation and alienation, yet the important
point is an acceptable and workable solution.
 Marxism as an ideology that can be utilized for extracting workable
solutions and these solutions can potentially be incorporated in the
present day capitalist framework for collective good.
 Latif & Khan (2011).

Marxism and feminism are theories of power and its distribution:

inequality. They provide accounts of how social arrangements of patterned
disparity can be internally rational yet unjust. But their specificity
is not incidental. In marxism to be deprived of one's work, in feminism of
one's sexuality, defines each one's conception of lack of power per se.
They do not mean to exist side by side to insure that two separate spheres of
social life are not overlooked, the interests of two groups are not
obscured, or the contributions of two sets of variables are not ignored.
They exist to argue, respectively, that the relations in which many work
and few gain, in which some fuck and others get fucked,2 are the prime
moment of politics.
MacKinnon, C. (1983). Feminism, Marxism, Method, and the State: Toward Feminist
Jurisprudence. Signs,7(3), 515-544. Retrieved from
http://www2.law.columbia.edu/faculty_franke/Certification%20Readings/catherine-mackinnon-
feminism-marxism-method-and-the-state-an-agenda-for-theory1.pdf

4. Reflect critically on your own intercultural sensitivities – 200 words

5. Refer to the impact of specific educational policies on diversity in

schooling – 200 words

Focus on research, analysis and links to theory, rather than on description

and unsubstantiated opinions. Your discussion of the question should
demonstrate your understandings of the issues and research on the topic.

Essays will be assessed on your ability to:

 Demonstrate understanding of the main discourses in terms of Diversity
and Social Justice and Learning in educational settings
 Critically evaluate your own ethical, personal and social capabilities, and
intercultural understandings.
 Assess the issue with relevance to educational policy and classroom
practice
 Present work professionally, using appropriate and clear academic
writing and APA 6 referencing style within the word limit

Criteria:

 Identification of the main social justice issue selected and related

discourses

 Applies sociological theory to explain inequality

 Demonstrates Intercultural Understanding

 Explains how governance and power impact teaching and learning.

 Presents work professionally, with clear academic writing and within the
word limit and uses APA referencing style correctly, including
competently integrating evidence.

References: - 10

Gjerde, P. F. (2014). An evaluation of ethnicity research in developmental

psychology: Critiques and recommendations. Human Development, 57(4),
176-205. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/10.1159/000362768

Eriksen, T., Amit, V., & Mitchell, J. (2010). Ethnicity and Nationalism:
Anthropological Perspectives. Pluto Books. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt183h0h1
Wilson, T. M., & Rodkin, P. C. (2013). Children's cross-ethnic relationships in
elementary schools: Concurrent and prospective associations between ethnic
segregation and social status. Child Development, 84(3), 1081. Retrieved
from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1349938933?accoun
tid=36155

Wang, G., & Shulruf, B. (2013). Admission model and equity in higher
education.The Asia - Pacific Education Researcher, 22(1), 111-117.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/10.1007/s40299-012-0002-8

Outlaw,Lucius T.,,Jr. (2014). Commentary: Diversity, excellence, and equity:

Recognizing diversity, educating for excellence, fostering equity, nurturing
achievement, rewarding merit. The Journal of Negro Education, 83(4), 522-
529. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1684189669?accoun
tid=36155

Bottiani, J. H., Bradshaw, C. P., & Mendelson, T. (2016). Inequality in black

and white high school students' perceptions of school support: An
examination of race in context. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(6),
1176-1191. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/10.1007/s10964-015-
0411-0

Gatimu, M. W. (2009). Undermining critical consciousness unconsciously:

Restoring hope in the multicultural education idea. Journal of Educational
Change, 10(1), 47-61.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/10.1007/s10833-008-9087-5

Blanford, D. S. (2011). Mind the gap: Critical race theory and the achievement
gaps of an “Exemplary” high school (Order No. 3452754). Available from
Education Database. (865869183). Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/865869183?accounti
d=36155

Potts, A. (2015). A theory for educational research: Socialisation theory and

symbolic interaction. Education Research and Perspectives (Online), 42, 633-
654. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1765642524?accoun
tid=36155

Teo, T. W., & Osborne, M. (2012). Using symbolic interactionism to analyze a

specialized STEM high school teacher's experience in curriculum
reform.Cultural Studies of Science Education, 7(3), 541-567.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/10.1007/s11422-011-9364-0

Latif, M. I., & Khan, R. A. (2011). Marxism in twenty first century: A critical
review.Journal of Educational Research, 14(2), 65-75. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1115312268?accoun
tid=36155