Self-perception of young female and male students from Somali ethnic group in Britain today - Essay Example

?I. Topic Research A study on the self-perception of young female and male from Somali ethnic group in Britain today Purpose and Aims 1. Because of the changing structure of the education institution in Britain as well as the failure of several schools to sufficiently and fairly train or educate marginalised ethnic groups, such as the Somalis, an emphasis on issues of ethnic identity has emerged in relation to curriculum (Rutter, 2003, 29). Motivating a great deal of ethnic identity literature is frequently inherent and at times clear assumption that exposing students from disenfranchised ethnic groups to academic discussions of their own culture improves their mental and emotional security (Desforges, 2003, 42). Hence, the purpose of this study is to find out the current perceptions of Somali students in Britain of their own ethnic identity in order to ascertain the ‘best practices’ that may be applied to diversity management in the British education institution. 1.2. The researcher is confident that this study will provide an opportunity that would encourage critical reflection in Somali students of their ethnic identity. This study hopes to raise issues of group belongingness, conflict with the mainstream group, and individual identity. Certainly, the researcher views this subject matter as one valuable response to counteracting the failure of the British education institution to adequately and justly educate Somali students. 1.3. The researcher chooses to study this subject matter because of the findings that the level of development of student’s ethnic identity affects their worldview and psychological wellbeing, thus influencing how they behave in and deal with their instructional practices and school environments (Ager & Strang, 2004, 70). Hence, phases of ethnic identity should become important components of education research if instructional attempts and curriculum development are to be most favourable to Somali students in the UK. The assumption that students whose cultural backgrounds are taken for granted or misrepresented in the curriculum might gain intellectually and psychologically from academic discussions of their cultures is highly relevant to this study. Nevertheless, as a practitioner, the researcher acknowledges that ethnicity is just one level of ethnic identity of students and that a variety of other variables influence how students understand their history and sense of group belongingness. 1.4. The potential users of this research are education practitioners such as school administrators and teachers. Understanding of the phases of ethnic identity development can aid teachers in correctly interpreting their students’ responses when they experience culturally or ethnically charged problems. And most importantly, Somali students as well as their families can use this research to understand their current situation in Britain and the possible means of dealing with issues of ethnic identity. 1.5. This study will try to answer the following research questions: 1. How do Somali students in Britain perceive their ethnic identity today in terms of their: a. relationship with their teachers; b. their socialisation experiences in school; c. their experiences with instructional practices and classroom curriculum. 2. Literature Review 2.1. Introduction London has the biggest Somali population at present. Somalis, in 2002, were reported as the biggest immigrant groups in London schools (Rutter, 2006, 177). Settlement patterns in the UK are influenced by ethnic identity. That ethnic identity establishes settlement patterns in UK schools possibly will have distinct groups of Somali children, with different experiences (Kassem, Mufti & Robinson, 2006, 91). A UK-born Somali child, for instance, will have distinct experiences from a child who immigrated from Mogadishu (Rutter, 2006, 177). Clan membership in the UK is less significant among migrant groups before 1988 but it remains extremely significant among new immigrants (ibid, p. 177-178). Memories of violence and hostilities committed by certain warlords can damage social affiliations between Somalis (Rutter, 2003, 118). The study of El-Solh (1991, 542) suggests that in London, in states of poverty and displacement, ethnic membership is the only possible form of assistance and unity. A large number of the roughly 120 Somali groups in the UK have been organised by their male elders and collaborate with particular ethnic groups or sub-clans; a reality that has been exploited by public officials to oppose subsidy of Somali groups (Rutter, 2006, 178). Certainly, membership with the ethnic group is often perceived unfavourably by numerous people working in public offices (ibid, p. 178). However, another perspective would pervceive ethnic unity as a way by which Somalis give guidance and mutual assistance. 2.2. Most children from Somali communities leave school with hardly any credentials or skills. Somalis have been mostly barred from jobs in the UK (Koser, 2003, 104). Ethnic or racial discrimination is a worldwide trend. Official procedures such as street stop-and-search and house searches are raising resentment among Somalis (ibid, p. 104). Expectedly, a lot of young Somalis experience or sense denunciation by the British majority. With regard to this, Stratford Road embodies a renewal of independence and pride and an assertion of Somali identity (Rutter, 2006, 179). If the experiences of the United States of divided integration have any implication in the UK, the existence of communes such as Stratford Road may furnish the ways by which principles and values of Somali communities are transmitted (ibid, pp. 179-180). Children who are raised with role models and fair Somali success, may have more advantageous educational qualifications. Better ‘assimilation’ may be attained through a phase of greater segregation (Edwards, 2002, 52). Although ethnic relations are the thrust behind the harmony and solidarity of organisation, Griffiths (2002, p. 164) proposes that identites are developing in separation, specifically among the children and adolescents. An educated few is coming forward; individuals who view themselves as black, young, British, achievers (ibid, p. 164). Perception of ‘home’ is evolving as well, with enlarging population of young Somalis envisioning their future in the UK, although with firm transnational connections to Somali communities in other countries (Rutter, 2006, 182). Kahin (1997), a Somali, studies changes in ethnic identity among Somali children as well. He assumes that, generally, children are not bothered by dwelling in ‘two different worlds’ (p. 41), and they become skilled at shifting between the cultural norms of the school and home. Religion is another element of the ethnic identity of Somalis. Virtually every Somali is a Sunni Muslim (Edwards, 2002, 158). Most Somalis are devotee, going to the mosque and observing the fasting tradition of Ramadan. Nevertheless, a number of Somalis are deserting religious tradition—as an outcome of difficulties confronted in the workplace or school (ibid, pp. 158-159). On the contrary, few Somalis have accepted Islamic fundamentalism. There are several proofs revealing that younger Somalis, raised in the UK, resorting to Islamic fundamentalism, in their pursuite for self-actualisation and answers (Rutter, 2006, 182). Griffiths (1997, 18), moreover, studies gender identity, proposing that believed liberty of Somali women and joblessness among Somali men has incited a problem in male identity in a number of family units. This insecurity is at times acted out or manifested in school, such as Somali boys refusing to recognise the authority of girls and women. A large number of young Somalis had an intermittent earlier education (ibid, p. 18).Such interruptions, alongside the absence of necessary educational assistance in the UK, were critical in controlling the development of Somali children. Young Somalis are more likely to have an intermittent earlier education than other ethnic group. In the study of Rutter (2006) young Somalis were interviewed about the supplementary learning assistance they had obtained in UK schools. The findings are: Of the five children with an interrupted prior education, three had received some small group teaching in addition to classroom-based support. All of them were pupils at the same school where there was an induction class for new arrivals who have English as an additional language. This programme, lasting six weeks, ran for one day per week, with pupils attending mainstream classes for the remaining four days (p. 189). The study finds out that other young Somalis with an intermittent earlier education were fully reliant on in-class aid. The benefits of focused group teaching received by them was, from the data/information collected in the schools, inadequate to teach them the theories, concepts, and aptitudes that they need to acquire and to drive educational growth (Rutter, 2006, 189). 2.3. The abovementioned studies are consistent in their findings, that is, young Somali students are performing poorly in British schools because of their experiences as a refugee group and the attitude of the mainstream British society towards them. However, the findings of the cited studies cannot be generalised due to the non-representativeness of their sample population. Nevertheless, these studies remain relevant to current and future research. Although there are few existing literature the experiences of young Somali students in schools in the UK, the abovementioned studies challenged the researcher to find out the connection between Somali students’ perception of their own ethnic identity and their educational progress. This study is hence important in identifying the complex and diverse causes of lack of educational growth among young Somali students. 3. Methodology 3.1. This qualitative study makes use of a case study methodology, which is an appropriate approach for a research involving thorough, balanced investigation, to identify and understand how Somali students in British schools perceive their own ethnic identity, and the effect of these perceptions on their educational progress. Yin (1994) enumerates a number of bases for using the case study approach: “case studies are the preferred strategy when how or why questions are being posed. When the investigator has little control over events, and when the focus is on a contemporary phenomenon within some real-life context” (p. 28). This study requires a case study approach because of its main objective, which is to identify how Somali students in British schools perceive the influence of their ethnic identity on their (1) relationship with their teachers, (2) their socialization experiences in school, and (3) their experiences with instructional practices and classroom curriculum. 3.2. The major feature of the case study approach in this study is that it captures the ‘relevance’ of how Somali students perceive, personally, their experiences in British school and occurrences that influence their perceptions. The researcher carefully interprets, through systematic induction, from Somali students’ similar experiences and stories, the gathered information, to an analytical data analysis. After transcribing the Somali students’ responses about their perceptions of their ethnic identity and their experiences at British schools, the researcher classifies the similarities of their perceptions and experiences and afterwards conducts a cross-case investigation. 3.3. This study uses a questionnaire. The questions are based on relevant issues from the literature and from interviews with Somali student volunteers from different British schools. These students are used to authenticate the survey instrument. The developed questionnaire had three parts. The first part identifies Somali students’ perceive support from their teachers. The second part consists of a sequence of open-ended questions which allows the students to relate their socialisation experiences in school in their own words. The last part, similar to the second, contains open-ended questions about the students’ experiences with instructional practices and classroom curriculum. The items on the survey instrument stem from the issues identified in the literature, namely, the effect of Somali students’ perception of their own ethnic identity on (1) their relationship with their teachers, (2) their socialisation experience in British schools, and (3) their experiences with instructional practices and classroom curriculum. The responses to the questions are analysed separately of each other. Questionnaires with missing or incomplete responses are considered unusable. On the contrary, if a respondent finished answering any portion of the part with open-ended questions, the survey is included. The three open-ended questions are: (1) generally, how did your teachers treat you as a student? (2) Did you experience any racial discrimination from your classmates and school personnel, such as librarians, security guards, maintenance staff, etc? (3) In your opinion, how well did instructional practices and the curriculum help you progress intellectually? The researcher then transcribes the responses and then proceeds with the data analysis. 3.4. The quality of a study is associated with the generalisability of the findings and hence to the verification and enhancing the trustworthiness or validity of the study (Grinnell, 2005, 88). Maxwell (1992, 282), on the contrary, claims that the level to which a finding is seen to be generalisable is an aspect that certainly differentiates qualitative and quantitative study. Even though the potential of generalising results to wider situations and individuals is regarded as one of the most usual validity evaluations for quantitative research (ibid, p. 282). However, Patton (2002, 39) argues that generalisability is one of the measures of good case studies hinging on the case chosen and investigated. Hence, to ensure the validity of this study the researcher will use the triangulation method. Triangulation is generally a method for enhancing the reliability and validity of a study or assessment of findings (Shacklock & Smyth, 1998, 72). As explained by Mathison (1988), “Triangulation has risen an important methodological issue in naturalistic and qualitative approaches to evaluation [in order to] control bias and establishing valid propositions because traditional scientific techniques are incompatible with this alternate epistemology” (p. 13). In this perspective, Healy and Perry (2000, 126) explain the assessment of reliability and validity within the framework of realism which depends on diverse views about a particular reality. They substantiate the use of triangulation of various sources of information and their interpretations with those diverse views in the framework of realism (ibid, p. 126). In this study, the researcher will cross-analyse the responses of the purposively selected Somali students to determine the similarities between their experiences and perceptions of their own ethnic identity. Employing diverse methods, like, interviews, questionnaires, and observation will result in more varied, reliable, and valid interpretation of realities. To enhance the assessment and understanding of the perception of Somali students of their own ethnic identity, triangulation is a method used to engage various researchers’ analysis of the findings at various location or time. Ethical Considerations The research procedure generates ethical issues, particularly rift between the research objectives and the interests of research subjects, and the respondents’ rights to sustain confidentiality and privacy. Ethics concerns the act of avoiding harm. Hence, the protection of research subjects in any study is very important. 4.1. Informed Consent A major premise within a code of ethics, regarding the responsibility of researchers to participants is informed consent. Participants should not only be asked for their consent to take part in an interview, observation, etc. but also be briefed completely of the nature and objective of the study, of the uses of their participation, and of the confidentiality of their contributions (Bell, 2005, 45). Studies, as much as possible, should be grounded on the research subjects’ willing informed consent. This entails a duty to explain thoroughly and clearly what the study is about and the manner it will be used. Hence, this study informs the participants, the Somali students, of their right to decline to take part in the study, of the level to which confidentiality is sustained; of the possible uses of the findings. 4.2. Confidentiality and Anonymity Confidentiality and anonymity are connected but different notions. Confidentiality, in the code of ethics, is generally perceived as similar to the premise of privacy (Bell, 2005, 50). To guarantee someone of confidentiality implies that everything that has been discussed will not be duplicated without consent (ibid, p. 50). The concept of anonymity and confidentiality is consistently discussed with participants before their involvement in the study. Hence, the researcher will make sure that any personal information about the selected Somali students will not be disclosed and try to safeguard the identity of these students through different procedures developed to anonymise research participants. 4.3. Benefits and Risks Understanding of ethnic identification among Somali students in British schools can aid teachers in making sense of the responses of these students when they experience racial discrimination. The benefits of this study are concentrated on the educators because knowledge about ethnic identity to understand better Somali students’ responses to ethnic and discrimination issues is very important. However, the risks of this study lies on the potential inadequacy of the researcher’s effort to promote ethical conduct. Possible risks are harm to the participants since the research process may result in anxiety and confusion among participants, and that the use or publication of the study may harm the participants’ or their ethnic group’s reputation. However, these potential risks may be mitigated by rigidly conforming to the principles of informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity. Reference List Ager, A. & Strang, A. (2004) Indicators of Integration. London: Home Office. Bell, J. (2005) Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-Time Researchers in Education, Health and Social Science. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press. Denscombe, M. (2003) The Good Research Guide for Small-Scale Social Research Projects. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press. Desforges, C. (2003) The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment. London: DfES. Edwards, R. (2002) Children, Home, and School: Autonomy, Connection, or Regulation? London: RoutledgeFalmer. El-Solh, C. (1991) ‘Somalis in London’s East End: A Community Striving for Recognition,’ New Community, 17, 539-552. Griffiths, D. (2002) Somali and Kurdish Refugees in London: New Identities in the Diaspora. Aldershot: Ashgate Books. Grinnell, R. Jr. (2005) Social Work Research and Evaluation: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. UK: Oxford University Press. Healy, M. & Perry, C. (2000) ‘Comprehensive criteria to judge validity and reliability of qualitative research within the realism paradigm,’ Qualitative Market Research, 3(3), 118-126. Kahin, M. (1997) Educating Somali Children in Britain. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books. Kassem, D., Mufti, E. & Robinson, J. (2006) Education Studies: Issues and Critical Perspectives. Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Koser, K. (2003) New African Diasporas. London: Routledge. Mathison, S. (1988) ‘Why triangulate?’ Educational Researcher, 17(2), 13-17. Maxwell, J.A. (1992) ‘Understanding and validity in qualitative research,’ Harvard Educational Review, 62(3), 279-300. Patton, M.Q. (2002) Qualitative evaluation and research methods. London: Sage Publications. Rutter, J. (2003) Supporting Refugee Children in 21st Century Britain: A Compendium of Essential Information. UK: Trentham Books. Rutter, J. (2006) Refugee Children in the UK. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press. Scarbrough, E. & Tanenbaum, E. (1998) Research Strategies in the Social Sciences: A Guide to New Approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Shacklock, G. & Smyth, J. (1998) Being Reflexive in Critical Education and Social Research. London: Falmer Press. Yin, R.K. (1994) Case study research: design and methods. London: Sage. Read More