ERIC Number: EJ829726
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0883-0355
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Do Anti-Immigrant Sentiments Track into Danish Classrooms? Ethnicity, Ethnicity Salience, and Bias in Children's Peer Preferences
Wagner, Judith T.; Camparo, Lorinda B.; Tsenkova, Vera; Camparo, James C.
International Journal of Educational Research, v47 n5 p312-322 2008
Denmark's commitment to childhood characterized by equality, democracy, and social cooperation stands in stark contrast to public discourse about immigrant children, who are sometimes branded with negative stereotypes and cast as the cause of school problems. This study examined ethnic-group membership, ethnicity salience, and peer preferences of 399 children in 21 classrooms in two Danish cities to explore whether anti-immigrant sentiments tracked into classrooms, socially marginalizing minority children, and whether any such disadvantages derived from ethnicity salience, in-group favouritism and/or out-group bias. Researchers introduced an index to control for class differences in the relative number of ethnic minority and majority children and analyzed both "child as chooser" and "child as chosen" dynamics. They found that minority/majority status was associated with in-group preference, social preference, and social status, disadvantaging minority children, especially in the smaller city. Salience was associated with minority status only. In-group preference did not correlate with out-group bias. Findings revealed potential risks and protective factors for minority children. Evidence contradicted stereotypic characterizations of minority children.
Descriptors: Group Membership, Ethnicity, Social Status, Stereotypes, Democracy, Minority Group Children, Foreign Countries, Immigrants, Student Attitudes, Peer Relationship, Educational Philosophy, Social Differences, Risk, Social Bias, Disadvantaged
Elsevier. 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800. Tel: 877-839-7126; Tel: 407-345-4020; Fax: 407-363-1354; e-mail: usjcs@elsevier.com; Web site: http://www.elsevier.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Denmark
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A