Fighters, thinkers and bees: how racialized minority students experience learning about ethnic inequality in education

Abstract

Educational research acknowledges the significant challenges faced by racialized minority students at school. This interview-based study examines the experiences of racialized minority students in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region in Belgium, regarding a social science curriculum that addresses the power dynamics and privilege involved in perpetuating ethnic inequality in Flemish education. The study aims to develop typologies of students’ responses to this curriculum. First, the fighters, thinkers and bees demonstrate diverse reactions to the curriculum. However, all students agree on the necessity of the curriculum for both racialized minority and majority students. Second, the interviews demonstrate that racialized minority students in Flanders possess a wealth of undervalued capitals. Contrary to conservative assumptions, the study finds no evidence that teaching about structural racialized inequalities causes division and impedes the agency of racialized minority students. The article concludes by emphasizing the implications of these student experiences for teaching practices.