International Journal of Sociology of Education

Windless Flags. Nations and Nationalism in the Sociology of Education

2023-02-09T10:44:28+01:00

As a specific area of knowledge, the Sociology of Education has paid little attention to the phenomenon of nations and nationalism. Concerned since its Durkheimian and Marxian origins with the school-society relationship, the social functions of the school and the links between education and social stratification, the role of the school institution in the construction and reproduction of nationalism has received residual, almost insignificant attention. This article analyzes in detail the way in which the Spanish Sociology of Education has relegated and neglected the issue of nations and nationalism, reviewing the university handbooks published in recent decades (1990-2021). Using the categories proposed by the social psychologist Michael Billig – hot and banal nationalism, methodological nationalism - the authors of the article also point out how this neglect of the Sociology of Education has contributed in parallel to the construction, reification and naturalization of the world of nations and nationalism.

“Family Keepers” or “Career Seekers”: Understanding the Life Experiences and Educational Trajectories of the Young Chinese Restaurant Owners in the United States

2022-08-13T08:03:40+02:00

This qualitative research investigates how Chinese restaurant owners negotiate their education opportunities, family solidarity, and social identity during their migration for success in the United States. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with nine Chinese restaurant owners in Western New York and identified two types of participants on the basis of their family backgrounds and educational attainments: the "family keepers" and the "career seekers". In short, "family keepers" tend to see ethnic business ownership as a way to sustain their families, while "career seekers" regard the ethnic business as a jumping-off point toward a new career. Incorporating the concept of transnational habitus from Bourdieusian scholars, this study argues that immigrants develop different transnational habitus within which they constantly reframe distinct mechanisms to evaluate their ethnic, family, and human capital for upward social mobility. By offering a comprehensive lens to understand immigrants’ human agency in coping with social and racial inequity, this study suggests one’s capital is dynamic and two-sided when transferring internationally. A certain type of capital denotes both advantages and disadvantages in immigrants’ transnational journey. It also raises the significance of with-group variance in understanding new immigrants’ upward social mobility.

“Teachers’ Impact on the Implementation of Human Rights Education in International Indian Schools in Kuwait

2023-04-25T17:43:39+02:00

With globalization, the establishment of private international schools has increased, particularly in nations with large migrant populations. These schools are affiliated to accreditation bodies from their respective country of origin for curriculum and assessment, although they may also be subject to certain norms within host countries. This duality alludes that students’ knowledge is largely dependent on the teacher who effectuates the official curriculum defined by the accrediting institution into the actual curriculum within the classroom. Although this reflects on all courses taught, it has wider implications in the effectiveness of Human rights education (HRE). This paper investigates key factors that determine the effective implementation of HRE by teachers in international schools, using the case study of Indian schools in Kuwait. By developing the 3I model (Introduction, Interpretation, and Implementation), the researchers determined the causative linkages in the structure and effectiveness of school curriculum for HRE, measured with exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results indicate that human rights are not adequately addressed in the official curriculum and the teacher’s own knowledge and comprehension of human rights influences the application of HRE in the actual curriculum, which may present scope for bias and subjectivity.

Equitably Undeterred? Persistence of Education Mobility and Migration Intent among Upper Secondary Education Students throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

2023-06-08T00:55:09+02:00

This paper aims to explore the effects of the pandemic on future mobility aspirations, as COVID-19 pandemic induced disruptions in overall educational experience and international mobility. The authors assess whether the hardship caused by the pandemic has affected Croatian upper secondary school students’ international migration intent and aspirations for studying abroad. To that cause, authors combine three large-scale nationally representative studies conducted in the pre-pandemic (2017), pandemic (2021) and late-pandemic (2022) period. The results indicate that the number of days school spent in remote learning proved modestly associated with lower intent to migrate or to study abroad in 2021. However, contrary to expectations drawn from literature, the prevalence of intent of moving abroad remained persistent compared to pre-pandemic, while aspirations for studying abroad increased. The expected moderation effects of students’ socio-economic background on migration intent during the pandemic and school closure, failed to materialize, except for migration intent in 2021, when having tertiary-educated parents proved more advantageous. In line with recent Eurobarometer surveys, our analysis imply little evidence of long-term devaluation of mobility capital among Croatian upper secondary students, as the moderators throttling mobility aspirations have likely receded.