Tacit Racism Toward Roma Students: The Case of a Turkish Public School

Year 2024, Issue: 69, 77 - 85, 13.06.2024

Ozan Uştuk

https://doi.org/10.26650/JECS2023-1327333

Abstract

This study aims to reveal hidden racist practices within a Turkish public school and explores their perpetuation through daily interactions between teachers and Roma students. As part of an applied research project dedicated to empowering Roma children in the educational setting, the study employs discourse analysis to expose tacit racist discourses circulating within the school. Using participant observation, casual conversations, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions, the research reveals implicit discriminatory practices in classrooms. Teacher interviews expose a prevalent coping mechanism, i.e., denial, which reflects reluctance to acknowledge their role in perpetuating discrimination despite awareness of the structural inequalities faced by Roma students. While comprehending systemic challenges, the adherence of the teachers to the myth of meritocracy fosters cognitive dissonance, which results in a dismissive incomprehension of the realities of and occasional assignment of blame to Roma students. Cultural stereotypes and pseudogenetic explanations function as convenient means of rationalizing existing biases. Navigating cognitive dissonance, teachers frequently redirect their focus toward the behaviors of Roma people due to a sense of helplessness and the influence of the pervasive meritocratic narrative. This dynamic contributes to the perpetuation of institutional racism through the daily discourse of teachers, which inadvertently exacerbates this systemic issue.

Keywords

discourse analysis, inclusive education, institutional racism, Roma

Supporting Institution

Central European University Foundation, Budapest (CEUBPF)

Project Number

BPF/16975

Thanks

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Central European University Foundation, Budapest (CEUBPF), for their generous support in funding this research project. Their contribution has been invaluable in ensuring the successful completion of this study. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Angela Kocze, the Chair of the Romani Studies Program, and Dr. Márton Rövid for their invaluable guidance and expertise. Their insightful feedback, valuable suggestions, and continuous support have significantly enriched this research endeavor.

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