No more Turkish music! The acculturation strategies of teachers and ethnic minority students in Flemish schools

Van Praag, Lore; Stevens, Peter; Van Houtte, Mieke

doi:10.1080/1369183X.2015.1103171

Title

No more Turkish music! The acculturation strategies of teachers and ethnic minority students in Flemish schools

Author

Van Praag, Lore

Stevens, Peter

Van Houtte, Mieke

Abstract

While considerable research has focused on the process and factors affecting acculturation, there is little research that investigates how members of minority and majority groups define acculturation in educational settings. Ethnographic research and qualitative interviews in three secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium) show that teachers and ethnic minority students have different ideas and expectancies regarding the concept integration, which appears to affect studentteacher relationship. Berry et al.s [1989. Acculturation Attitudes in Plural Societies. Applied Psychology: An International Review 3 (2): 185-206. doi:10.1111/j.1464-0597.1989.tb01208.x.] acculturation orientations are used as a theoretical template to analyse teachers and ethnic minority students discourses about acculturation. Analyses reveal that students of immigrant descent perceive acculturation mainly in terms of the establishment of intergroup contact. In contrast, teachers find it harder to disconnect cultural maintenance from contact and participation. By suggesting some form of cultural adoption, teachers hope to socialise their ethnic minority students into the culture of the dominant ethnic group and prepare them for their future. These distinct interpretations of integration in everyday life (which actually refers to acculturation) often leads to misunderstandings between ethnic minority students and their teachers, even to conflict, as many students feel that their cultural background is disparaged and not fully valued in school.

Language

English

Source (journal)

Journal of ethnic and migration studies. - Abingdon

Publication

Abingdon : 2015

ISSN

1369-183X

DOI

10.1080/1369183X.2015.1103171

Volume/pages

(2015) , p. 1-19