Peter A. J. Stevens’ (MA, PhD Warwick University, UK) is Associate Professor in Qualitative Research Methodology at Ghent University, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. His research is situated within the fields of sociology of education and race and ethnic relations. He is currently doing research on racism and nationalism in Cyprus and is supervising PhD research projects on: 1) Racism in Flemish schools, 2) The re-integration of Belgian expats, 3) The relationship between ethnic pride and prejudice in Belgium and 4) Ethnic inequalities in Chinese Higher Education. His is editor (with Gary Dworkin, Houston University) of the Palgrave Handbook of Race and Ethnic Inequalities in Education and his work has been published in journals in the field of education, sociology, and race/ethnicity, including Review of Educational Research, Sociology of Education and Ethnic and Racial Studies. Publications: http://www.lib.ugent.be/bibliografie/801001231149. Contact email address: peter.stevens@ugent.be.
This study examines whether secondary schools’ gender composition and levels of laddish attitudes... more This study examines whether secondary schools’ gender composition and levels of laddish attitudes influence the degree of ethnic prejudice among Flemish pupils. We hypothesize that in addition to pupil-level predictors of prejudice, the school’s gender composition and its laddish culture play roles in pupils’ attitudes toward ethnic minorities. We use multilevel analysis with data obtained in 2014–2015 from 2250 Flemish pupils in 48 secondary schools in Flanders. Both girls’ and boys’ ethnic prejudice is related to their laddish attitudes. Boys’ levels of ethnic prejudice are associated with the gender composition and the laddish culture of their school, while girls’ ethnic prejudice is more likely to be influenced by the laddish culture of the school when the proportion of male pupils in the school increases. The findings suggest that in order to reduce ethnic prejudice it might be fruitful to focus on macro-level factors, such as tackling laddish cultures at school.
This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in Flanders (Belgium) on the rel... more This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in Flanders (Belgium) on the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality between 1980 and 2010. We could identify five main research traditions: (1) the ‘political arithmetic’ tradition; (2) the ‘cultural and educational outcomes’ tradition; (3) the ‘language proficiency’ tradition; (4) the ‘racial and racial discrimination in school’ tradition; and (5) the ‘school effectiveness research’ tradition, with the ‘political arithmetic tradition’ research being the most dominant research tradition in Flanders. Most of the research conducted in Flanders focuses on explaining ‘underachievement’ in relationship to ‘Turkish’ and ‘Moroccan’ minority students. However, many studies have extended this to the study of ‘allochthons’ (maternal grandmother not born in Belgium) or students whose maternal language is not Dutch. Most studies are characterized by the use of quantitative research methods and a more (post-...
This study investigates in the context of Flanders (Belgium) whether working part-time during the... more This study investigates in the context of Flanders (Belgium) whether working part-time during the school year is more prevalent in lower tracks than in higher tracks, and whether this might be due to an antischool culture and/or the less demanding nature of such tracks. Additionally, the study examines whether the higher tendency to fail and to drop out in lower tracks is associated with the fact that lower-track students are more likely to work. Multilevel analyses of data from 6,373 students in 44 secondary schools show that a school's futility culture explains lower-track students' higher participation with paid work rather than the school's demanding nature. The results do not show a relation between students' employment and educational attainment. However, students working part-time are less inclined to plan high school completion.
ABSTRACT This article builds on a growing body of research that shows an intrinsic but complex re... more ABSTRACT This article builds on a growing body of research that shows an intrinsic but complex relationship between the concepts and the ideologies of nationalism and racism. In doing so, it investigates how different, meaningful national and ethnic in-group identifications of a dominant national/ethnic group (Greek-Cypriots) within a given national context (Cyprus) influence their perceptions of different, meaningful ethnic and racial minority out-groups. Logistic regression analysis of quantitative survey data with secondary school children (N = 738) in Cyprus shows that the relationship between national/ethnic in-group identifications and out-group perceptions varies according to the social and political relationships between particular national/ethnic in- and out-groups. The findings show that future research on the relationship between nationalism and racism should consider the overlap between and context specific nature of national and ethnic in-group identification processes and the historical, political relationships between different in- and out-groups.
This article builds on a growing body of research that shows an intrinsic but complex relationshi... more This article builds on a growing body of research that shows an intrinsic but complex relationship between the concepts and the ideologies of nationalism and racism. In doing so, it investigates how different, meaningful national and ethnic in-group identifications of a dominant national/ethnic group (Greek-Cypriots) within a given national context (Cyprus) influence their perceptions of different, meaningful ethnic and racial minority out-groups. Logistic regression analysis of quantitative survey data with secondary school children (N = 738) in Cyprus shows that the relationship between national/ethnic in-group identifications and out-group perceptions varies according to the social and political relationships between particular national/ethnic in- and out-groups. The findings show that future research on the relationship between nationalism and racism should consider the overlap between and context specific nature of national and ethnic in-group identification processes and the historical, political relationships between different in- and out-groups.
... In fact, relatively little research on students' sense of belonging within the school co... more ... In fact, relatively little research on students' sense of belonging within the school community has identified specific features of schools that affect students' sense of belonging (Faircloth and Hamm 2005; Ma 2003; Osterman 2000). Concerning ethnic composition, Johnson et al. ...
This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in Flanders (Belgium) on the rel... more This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in Flanders (Belgium) on the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality between 1980 and 2010. We could identify five main research traditions: (1) the ‘political arithmetic’ tradition; (2) the ‘cultural and educational outcomes’ tradition; (3) the ‘language proficiency’ tradition; (4) the ‘racial and racial discrimination in school’ tradition; and (5) the ‘school effectiveness research’ tradition, with the ‘political arithmetic tradition’ research being the most dominant research tradition in Flanders. Most of the research conducted in Flanders focuses on explaining ‘underachievement’ in relationship to ‘Turkish’ and ‘Moroccan’ minority students. However, many studies have extended this to the study of ‘allochthons’ (maternal grandmother not born in Belgium) or students whose maternal language is not Dutch. Most studies are characterized by the use of quantitative research methods and a more (post-...
Although a rich tradition of mainly US and UK research focuses on the nature and effects of track... more Although a rich tradition of mainly US and UK research focuses on the nature and effects of tracking students within schools, little research has investigated the importance of tracking students in the same or in separate schools. The authors used data from a unique, representative ...
Research into the effects of ability grouping has usually been conducted within schools. In the B... more Research into the effects of ability grouping has usually been conducted within schools. In the British and North American context, where the bulk of this kind of research has been carried out, ability grouping commonly occurs within schools. In Flanders – the Dutch-speaking, northern part of Belgium – as in other European countries, there are not only tracks within schools, but schools themselves can be distinguished by the curriculum they offer. This study questions whether students’ global self-esteem is affected differently by processes of within-school tracking (multilateral schools) compared to processes of between-school tracking (categorial schools). Analyses are based on a subsample of the Flemish Educational Assessment, gathered in 2004–2005, encompassing 10 multilateral and 56 categorial schools with 3,758 academic and 2,152 vocational students. Multi-level analyses (HLM6) show that academic students have a significant higher self-esteem than vocational students and this difference is larger in multilateral schools. Academic students in multilateral schools have a slightly higher self-esteem than those in categorial schools. Conceivably, academic students compare themselves with the vocational track students, leading to a higher awareness of status gratification, resulting in a higher self-esteem.
The influence of the ethnic composition of schools on interethnic relations and attitudes has bee... more The influence of the ethnic composition of schools on interethnic relations and attitudes has been studied extensively and has received ample interest from policy makers. However, less attention has been paid to the structures and processes inside schools that organize interethnic relations and attitudes. In Flanders (Belgium), secondary education is organized by grouping students in different tracks, which are hierarchically ordered and prepare students for different futures. Tracking in Flanders is intended to group students according to their abilities but together with this, students are grouped together according to their ethnic and socioeconomic background. In the present study, the interethnic relations and attitudes in each track will be explored, based on ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews in three multi-ethnic secondary schools in one city. Our findings suggest that different patterns occur across three groups of tracks: the most appreciated fields of study in academic, the intermediary (less appreciated fields of study in academic and technical tracks) and vocational tracks. According to the relative sizes of ethnic groups and track specific characteristics, interethnic relations were characterized respectively by ethnic segregation, positive experiences of interethnic contact or ethnic conflict/tensions. The ethnic composition of classrooms seemed to matter for students’ ethnic in-group identifications and evaluations and perceived out-group threats.
Het Vlaamse onderwijssysteem wordt gekenmerkt door de rigide onderverdeling van studenten in onde... more Het Vlaamse onderwijssysteem wordt gekenmerkt door de rigide onderverdeling van studenten in onderwijsvormen. De bedoeling hiervan is studenten te groeperen naargelang hun talenten en interesses. In praktijk starten veel leerlingen in academische richtingen maar veranderen deze tijdens hun schoolcarrière naar technische of beroepsrichtingen. In deze studie zullen we, op basis van etnografische observaties en semigestructureerde interviews in drie Vlaamse scholen, de gevolgen van deze structuur voor de dagelijkse schoolpraktijk verder bestuderen. Onze analyses tonen aan dat op het einde van het secundair onderwijs de leerlingenpopulatie in beroepsrichtingen steeds heterogener wordt wat betreft doorlopen studietraject, terwijl in academische richtingen de leerlingenpopulatie veel homogener is samengesteld. Dit bemoeilijkt de lespraktijk en versterkt zo bestaande sociale ongelijkheden.
This study examines whether secondary schools’ gender composition and levels of laddish attitudes... more This study examines whether secondary schools’ gender composition and levels of laddish attitudes influence the degree of ethnic prejudice among Flemish pupils. We hypothesize that in addition to pupil-level predictors of prejudice, the school’s gender composition and its laddish culture play roles in pupils’ attitudes toward ethnic minorities. We use multilevel analysis with data obtained in 2014–2015 from 2250 Flemish pupils in 48 secondary schools in Flanders. Both girls’ and boys’ ethnic prejudice is related to their laddish attitudes. Boys’ levels of ethnic prejudice are associated with the gender composition and the laddish culture of their school, while girls’ ethnic prejudice is more likely to be influenced by the laddish culture of the school when the proportion of male pupils in the school increases. The findings suggest that in order to reduce ethnic prejudice it might be fruitful to focus on macro-level factors, such as tackling laddish cultures at school.
This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in Flanders (Belgium) on the rel... more This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in Flanders (Belgium) on the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality between 1980 and 2010. We could identify five main research traditions: (1) the ‘political arithmetic’ tradition; (2) the ‘cultural and educational outcomes’ tradition; (3) the ‘language proficiency’ tradition; (4) the ‘racial and racial discrimination in school’ tradition; and (5) the ‘school effectiveness research’ tradition, with the ‘political arithmetic tradition’ research being the most dominant research tradition in Flanders. Most of the research conducted in Flanders focuses on explaining ‘underachievement’ in relationship to ‘Turkish’ and ‘Moroccan’ minority students. However, many studies have extended this to the study of ‘allochthons’ (maternal grandmother not born in Belgium) or students whose maternal language is not Dutch. Most studies are characterized by the use of quantitative research methods and a more (post-...
This study investigates in the context of Flanders (Belgium) whether working part-time during the... more This study investigates in the context of Flanders (Belgium) whether working part-time during the school year is more prevalent in lower tracks than in higher tracks, and whether this might be due to an antischool culture and/or the less demanding nature of such tracks. Additionally, the study examines whether the higher tendency to fail and to drop out in lower tracks is associated with the fact that lower-track students are more likely to work. Multilevel analyses of data from 6,373 students in 44 secondary schools show that a school's futility culture explains lower-track students' higher participation with paid work rather than the school's demanding nature. The results do not show a relation between students' employment and educational attainment. However, students working part-time are less inclined to plan high school completion.
ABSTRACT This article builds on a growing body of research that shows an intrinsic but complex re... more ABSTRACT This article builds on a growing body of research that shows an intrinsic but complex relationship between the concepts and the ideologies of nationalism and racism. In doing so, it investigates how different, meaningful national and ethnic in-group identifications of a dominant national/ethnic group (Greek-Cypriots) within a given national context (Cyprus) influence their perceptions of different, meaningful ethnic and racial minority out-groups. Logistic regression analysis of quantitative survey data with secondary school children (N = 738) in Cyprus shows that the relationship between national/ethnic in-group identifications and out-group perceptions varies according to the social and political relationships between particular national/ethnic in- and out-groups. The findings show that future research on the relationship between nationalism and racism should consider the overlap between and context specific nature of national and ethnic in-group identification processes and the historical, political relationships between different in- and out-groups.
This article builds on a growing body of research that shows an intrinsic but complex relationshi... more This article builds on a growing body of research that shows an intrinsic but complex relationship between the concepts and the ideologies of nationalism and racism. In doing so, it investigates how different, meaningful national and ethnic in-group identifications of a dominant national/ethnic group (Greek-Cypriots) within a given national context (Cyprus) influence their perceptions of different, meaningful ethnic and racial minority out-groups. Logistic regression analysis of quantitative survey data with secondary school children (N = 738) in Cyprus shows that the relationship between national/ethnic in-group identifications and out-group perceptions varies according to the social and political relationships between particular national/ethnic in- and out-groups. The findings show that future research on the relationship between nationalism and racism should consider the overlap between and context specific nature of national and ethnic in-group identification processes and the historical, political relationships between different in- and out-groups.
... In fact, relatively little research on students' sense of belonging within the school co... more ... In fact, relatively little research on students' sense of belonging within the school community has identified specific features of schools that affect students' sense of belonging (Faircloth and Hamm 2005; Ma 2003; Osterman 2000). Concerning ethnic composition, Johnson et al. ...
This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in Flanders (Belgium) on the rel... more This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in Flanders (Belgium) on the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality between 1980 and 2010. We could identify five main research traditions: (1) the ‘political arithmetic’ tradition; (2) the ‘cultural and educational outcomes’ tradition; (3) the ‘language proficiency’ tradition; (4) the ‘racial and racial discrimination in school’ tradition; and (5) the ‘school effectiveness research’ tradition, with the ‘political arithmetic tradition’ research being the most dominant research tradition in Flanders. Most of the research conducted in Flanders focuses on explaining ‘underachievement’ in relationship to ‘Turkish’ and ‘Moroccan’ minority students. However, many studies have extended this to the study of ‘allochthons’ (maternal grandmother not born in Belgium) or students whose maternal language is not Dutch. Most studies are characterized by the use of quantitative research methods and a more (post-...
Although a rich tradition of mainly US and UK research focuses on the nature and effects of track... more Although a rich tradition of mainly US and UK research focuses on the nature and effects of tracking students within schools, little research has investigated the importance of tracking students in the same or in separate schools. The authors used data from a unique, representative ...
Research into the effects of ability grouping has usually been conducted within schools. In the B... more Research into the effects of ability grouping has usually been conducted within schools. In the British and North American context, where the bulk of this kind of research has been carried out, ability grouping commonly occurs within schools. In Flanders – the Dutch-speaking, northern part of Belgium – as in other European countries, there are not only tracks within schools, but schools themselves can be distinguished by the curriculum they offer. This study questions whether students’ global self-esteem is affected differently by processes of within-school tracking (multilateral schools) compared to processes of between-school tracking (categorial schools). Analyses are based on a subsample of the Flemish Educational Assessment, gathered in 2004–2005, encompassing 10 multilateral and 56 categorial schools with 3,758 academic and 2,152 vocational students. Multi-level analyses (HLM6) show that academic students have a significant higher self-esteem than vocational students and this difference is larger in multilateral schools. Academic students in multilateral schools have a slightly higher self-esteem than those in categorial schools. Conceivably, academic students compare themselves with the vocational track students, leading to a higher awareness of status gratification, resulting in a higher self-esteem.
The influence of the ethnic composition of schools on interethnic relations and attitudes has bee... more The influence of the ethnic composition of schools on interethnic relations and attitudes has been studied extensively and has received ample interest from policy makers. However, less attention has been paid to the structures and processes inside schools that organize interethnic relations and attitudes. In Flanders (Belgium), secondary education is organized by grouping students in different tracks, which are hierarchically ordered and prepare students for different futures. Tracking in Flanders is intended to group students according to their abilities but together with this, students are grouped together according to their ethnic and socioeconomic background. In the present study, the interethnic relations and attitudes in each track will be explored, based on ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews in three multi-ethnic secondary schools in one city. Our findings suggest that different patterns occur across three groups of tracks: the most appreciated fields of study in academic, the intermediary (less appreciated fields of study in academic and technical tracks) and vocational tracks. According to the relative sizes of ethnic groups and track specific characteristics, interethnic relations were characterized respectively by ethnic segregation, positive experiences of interethnic contact or ethnic conflict/tensions. The ethnic composition of classrooms seemed to matter for students’ ethnic in-group identifications and evaluations and perceived out-group threats.
Het Vlaamse onderwijssysteem wordt gekenmerkt door de rigide onderverdeling van studenten in onde... more Het Vlaamse onderwijssysteem wordt gekenmerkt door de rigide onderverdeling van studenten in onderwijsvormen. De bedoeling hiervan is studenten te groeperen naargelang hun talenten en interesses. In praktijk starten veel leerlingen in academische richtingen maar veranderen deze tijdens hun schoolcarrière naar technische of beroepsrichtingen. In deze studie zullen we, op basis van etnografische observaties en semigestructureerde interviews in drie Vlaamse scholen, de gevolgen van deze structuur voor de dagelijkse schoolpraktijk verder bestuderen. Onze analyses tonen aan dat op het einde van het secundair onderwijs de leerlingenpopulatie in beroepsrichtingen steeds heterogener wordt wat betreft doorlopen studietraject, terwijl in academische richtingen de leerlingenpopulatie veel homogener is samengesteld. Dit bemoeilijkt de lespraktijk en versterkt zo bestaande sociale ongelijkheden.
This authoritative, state-of-the-art reference work provides the first systematic review to date ... more This authoritative, state-of-the-art reference work provides the first systematic review to date of how sociologists have studied the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality in eighteen different national contexts: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Cyprus, Finland, France, England, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Russia, South Africa, the Netherlands and the USA.
Using a similar, comprehensive literature review methodology, national experts critically review how sociologists have studied race and ethnic inequalities in education over the last thirty years. The analysis focuses on the main research traditions that developed over time and their relationships with developments in social policy and social thought. This book ultimately integrates the findings of the national reviews and maps out new directions for future research. Additionally, the editors explore how national contexts of race/ethnic relations shape the character and content of educational inequalities.
Global in its perspective and definitive in content, this one-stop volume will be an indispensable reference resource for a wide range of academics, students and researchers in the fields of education, sociology, race and ethnicity studies and social policy.
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structures and processes inside schools that organize interethnic relations and attitudes. In Flanders (Belgium), secondary education is organized by grouping students in different tracks, which are hierarchically ordered
and prepare students for different futures. Tracking in Flanders is intended to group students according to their abilities but together with this, students are grouped together according to their ethnic and socioeconomic
background. In the present study, the interethnic relations and attitudes in each track will be explored, based on ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews in three multi-ethnic secondary schools in one
city. Our findings suggest that different patterns occur across three groups of tracks: the most appreciated fields of study in academic, the intermediary (less appreciated fields of study in academic and technical tracks) and vocational tracks. According to the relative sizes of ethnic groups and track specific characteristics, interethnic relations were characterized respectively by ethnic segregation, positive experiences of interethnic contact or ethnic conflict/tensions. The ethnic composition of classrooms seemed to matter for students’ ethnic in-group identifications and evaluations and perceived out-group threats.
structures and processes inside schools that organize interethnic relations and attitudes. In Flanders (Belgium), secondary education is organized by grouping students in different tracks, which are hierarchically ordered
and prepare students for different futures. Tracking in Flanders is intended to group students according to their abilities but together with this, students are grouped together according to their ethnic and socioeconomic
background. In the present study, the interethnic relations and attitudes in each track will be explored, based on ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews in three multi-ethnic secondary schools in one
city. Our findings suggest that different patterns occur across three groups of tracks: the most appreciated fields of study in academic, the intermediary (less appreciated fields of study in academic and technical tracks) and vocational tracks. According to the relative sizes of ethnic groups and track specific characteristics, interethnic relations were characterized respectively by ethnic segregation, positive experiences of interethnic contact or ethnic conflict/tensions. The ethnic composition of classrooms seemed to matter for students’ ethnic in-group identifications and evaluations and perceived out-group threats.
Using a similar, comprehensive literature review methodology, national experts critically review how sociologists have studied race and ethnic inequalities in education over the last thirty years. The analysis focuses on the main research traditions that developed over time and their relationships with developments in social policy and social thought. This book ultimately integrates the findings of the national reviews and maps out new directions for future research. Additionally, the editors explore how national contexts of race/ethnic relations shape the character and content of educational inequalities.
Global in its perspective and definitive in content, this one-stop volume will be an indispensable reference resource for a wide range of academics, students and researchers in the fields of education, sociology, race and ethnicity studies and social policy.