Immigrant Incorporation, Education, and the Boundaries of Belonging

In this edited volume, authors analyze how symbolic boundaries of belonging are negotiated and reflected upon by school actors in different educational contexts and how that contributes to a richer understanding of the ways in which "we-ness" acts as a fundamentally structuring force in immigrant incorporation. The analyses draw on cultural sociologist Jeffrey Alexander's work on civil sphere theory, thus grasping both the solidaristic dimensions of incorporation and processes of exclusion. Chapters are guided by two major themes: school choice/ethnic school segregation and religion/faith in schooling. Both of these themes provide rich examples of how immigrant school actors negotiate the symbolic codes that define boundaries of belonging/non-belonging in different communities. This focus will broaden the understanding of how educational practices and formal schooling works in relation to immigrant incorporation into different school cultures, as well as in the Swedish civilsphere.

Draws on Jeffrey Alexander's work on civil sphere theory Includes interviews and ethnographic fieldwork on immigrant incorporation in Swedish schools Examines religiosity as a key point for constructing we-ness and otherness in the experiences of immigrant students in school

Autorentext
Stefan Lund is Associate Professor of Education at the Department of Education at Stockholm University, Sweden. His research interests revolve around cultural sociology, sociology of education, educational policy, multicultural education, and sociology of sport.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. School choice, we-ness and school cultures.- 3. To belong or not?.- 4. "Different from the eyes of others": Negotiating faith in a non-confessional educational system.- 5. To construct civility or be constructed as anti-civil.- 6. Immigrant incorporation, Education, and the Boundaries of Belonging.