Between Marginalisation and Agency. Primary School Teachers’ Narratives in London and the Position of Children with Migrant Backgrounds

Federico Farini; Angela Scollan

Between Marginalisation and Agency. Primary School Teachers’ Narratives in London and the Position of Children with Migrant Backgrounds

Publication date: 31.12.2021

Migration Studies – Review of Polish Diaspora, 2021 (XLVII), Vol. 4 (182), pp. 79-96

https://doi.org/10.4467/25444972SMPP.21.053.14806

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Between Marginalisation and Agency. Primary School Teachers’ Narratives in London and the Position of Children with Migrant Backgrounds

Abstract

Based on qualitative interviews with primary school teachers in Greater London, this article explores teachers’ narratives to uncover how children with migrant backgrounds (CMB) are positioned in the contexts of their learning experience. In particular, the article utilises the analytical category of trust to argue that the position of CMB in teachers’ narratives is related to the form of teachers’ trust. When trust is based on categorical inequalities, CMB are often considered untrustworthy partners construction of the learning and teaching experience. Trust based on categorical inequalities becomes a form of trust in distrust and CMB are positioned in the children’s needs paradigm where decision-making is reserved to teachers who act for them and on their behalf. When trust is based on personal relationships, CMB are positioned as agents who are capable to voice their interests, bringing about consequential changes in the contexts of their experiences. CMB are positioned in the children’s interests paradigm, where agency is expected and promoted as a right of children who are socially constructed as agents who can make a difference with their choices.

Keywords

trust; agency; inequality; self-determination; narratives; primary education

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Information

Information: Migration Studies – Review of Polish Diaspora, 2021 (XLVII), Vol. 4 (182), pp. 79-96

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4467/25444972SMPP.21.053.14806

Article type: Original article

Titles:

Polish:

Between Marginalisation and Agency. Primary School Teachers’ Narratives in London and the Position of Children with Migrant Backgrounds

English:

Between Marginalisation and Agency. Primary School Teachers’ Narratives in London and the Position of Children with Migrant Backgrounds

Authors

Federico Farini

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8498-0453

University of Northampton, United Kingdom

Angela Scollan

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9005-5838

Middlesex University, United Kingdom

Published at: 31.12.2021

Article status: Open

Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Percentage share of authors:

Federico Farini (Author) - 50%

Angela Scollan (Author) - 50%

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Publication languages:

English

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