Young people in Sweden today live in a society with greater cultural diversity than before. David Sandberg, a PhD student at the Department of Psychology, has in his thesis investigated Swedish secondary school students' experiences of how ethnicity is addressed in different social contexts, as well as the potential effects of the school-based intervention “The Identity Project” on high school students’ attitudes.
Amina Abdullahi, also a PhD student at the Department of Psychology, has in her thesis within the framework of the school-based intervention ‘The Identity Project’ investigated high school students’ exploration and sense of clarity of their ethnic identities and the potential effect on their well-being, as well as student teachers’ experiences of how classmates and teacher educators talk about ethnicity.
Ethnic identity education as a preventive intervention
The aim of the school-based intervention was to provide a forum for pupils to explore their self-defined ethnic identities and thereby gain a better understanding of what this part of their identity might mean to them. The long-term goal of the intervention was to have a positive effect on young people's well-being, interpersonal relationships and academic engagement. Schools in Västra Götaland with pupils of varying self-defined ethnic backgrounds were included in the sample. Four high schools, 22 classes and 509 pupils participated in the study. Half of the pupils received the intervention, and half formed the control group. Pupils in the control group also received the intervention after the study had ended.
Previous studies in the US and Germany have shown that young people who are supported to explore their ethnic and cultural identities feel more secure, have better self-esteem, perform better at school, have fewer depressive symptoms and report more positive attitudes towards people from ethnic backgrounds different from their own.
The current evaluation found that the intervention in Sweden had a positive effect on young people's exploration of their ethnic identities, and they also gained a greater personal understanding of the meaning of that part of their identity. In her thesis, Amina Abdullahi found that youth’ increased understanding of their ethnic identities was an asset toward increased self-esteem, reduced depressive symptoms, reduced identity confusion, increased academic engagement, and increased satisfaction with life in general.
However, the results in one of David Sandberg's studies showed no increase in students’ attitudes towards cultural diversity and people with ethnic backgrounds different from their own following the intervention.
– One reason why the intervention did not lead to an increase in positive attitudes may be that, compared to previous evaluations, the young people who participated in Sweden already reported high levels of these attitudes before the intervention. There was hardly any room for improvement, explains David Sandberg.
Young people's stories gave a more nuanced picture
Young people’s own experiences of how ethnicity was addressed in different social contexts were explored through six focus group interviews with secondary school students in Västra Götaland. The participants were recruited via soccer teams and 48 percent reported having at least one parent born outside of Sweden.
The young people's stories revealed that ethnicity is not always addressed in a good or nuanced way in their everyday lives, and that they see significant differences between different contexts: schools, social media and sports.
The focus groups discussed how there is a sense of uncertainty surrounding the topic of ethnicity at school, and that it is sometimes perceived as uncomfortable to talk about.
– Some of the young people shared how they encounter subtle forms of racism at school, such as the use of stereotypes in teaching, or peers’ ‘jokes’ in the form of derogatory comments about one’s ethnicity, explains David Sandberg. They also felt that teachers should talk about ethnicity in more reflective ways and not avoid the topic, as that can make people who are already vulnerable feel less safe.
The portrayal of ethnicity by young people on social media is mixed and more nuanced than the description of the school environment. They describe how both peers and influencers talk about their ethnic backgrounds and share their traditions in a positive way, which is perceived as both rewarding and educational. At the same time, the young people testify to a more open hatred there.
The secondary school pupils described youth sports as a safe zone, a place where everyone can participate, regardless of ethnic background or skin colour.
– One clear difference from the school context is how the young people describe that derogatory comments and insults related to ethnicity are punished with harsher consequences in the form of a red card, or even suspension, says David Sandberg.
The student teachers had similar experiences to the adolescents
The student teachers who participated in the focus groups described that in their university education to become teachers, ethnicity was framed as something that is about and concerns minoritized ‘others’, who were referred to through labels such as ‘non-Swedish’, ‘non-white’ or ‘immigrants’. Ethnicity was also perceived as sensitive to talk about as some classmates and teacher educators express negative stereotypes, make racist ‘jokes’, and use racial slurs.
– Student teachers felt that the conversations about ethnicity within their teacher education program need to be highlighted and problematized, particularly in relation to the one-sided focus on people who are portrayed as ‘other’. There may also be a need for clearer efforts to counteract racism within teacher education and, by extension, within schools, says Amina Abdullahi.
Author: Katarina Englund
Contact details:
David Sandberg
david.sandberg@psy.gu.se
Amina Abdullahi
amina.abdullahi@psy.gu.se
