Mind the Gap: Academically Successful African Caribbean Heritage Students, Learning Identities and the Cultural Assets Mediating Learning

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Mind the Gap: Academically Successful African Caribbean Heritage Students, Learning Identities and the Cultural Assets Mediating Learning Mind the Gap: Academically Successful African Caribbean Heritage Students, Learning Identities and the Cultural Assets Mediating Learning by Veronica Henry A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Manchester Metropolitan University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy MMU Research Education and Social Research Institute October2015 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................... 5 Abstract ............................................................................................. 7 Abbreviations and Glossary ............................................................... 8 Chapter 1 – Journey to Becoming ................................................... 11 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................... 11 Commencement of the Journey ...................................................... 12 Insights from the Preparatory Study .............................................. 16 Self-efficacy and Agency ................................................................. 17 Teachers Expectations and Support ................................................ 21 The Research Questions .................................................................. 24 Outline of Chapters .......................................................................... 24 Chapter 2 – Broad Overview of the Research ................................. 26 The Notion of Success ..................................................................... 27 The Original Research Aims ............................................................. 28 Literature Review ............................................................................ 30 Mind The Gap ................................................................................... 31 Bridging the Gap .............................................................................. 34 The Further Education (FE) System – Context for the Study .......... 36 African Caribbean Heritage People’s Academic Success(es) .......... 39 Chapter 3 - Methodology ................................................................. 41 Introduction..................................................................................... 41 The Participants ............................................................................... 41 Participants’ Profiles ....................................................................... 42 Methods and Methodology .............................................................. 43 Methods and Techniques ................................................................. 44 The Philosophical Approach ............................................................ 45 Methods ........................................................................................... 50 Critical Race Theory (CRT) .............................................................. 53 Sampling Methods ........................................................................... 65 Data Acquisition and Analysis ......................................................... 68 Models of Data Acquisition .............................................................. 69 Reliability ......................................................................................... 73 Data Acquisition Techniques ........................................................... 73 Data Analysis ................................................................................... 76 Chapter 4 - Identity, Blackness and Learning ................................. 78 Introduction – Identity(ies) ............................................................ 78 Identity(ies) and Achievement/Underachievement ....................... 79 To Be or Not to Be? – Black (British) Identity ................................ 82 Black Identity(ies): A Detour through Toni Morrison’s Tar Baby ... 84 The Oppositional Identity Thesis .................................................... 89 Black Identity in Learning Spaces - Why are all the Black Students Sitting Together in Educational Spaces? ......................................... 92 Black Identity in Learning Spaces - Fictive Kinship – A Safety Device or a Tool of Resistance? .................................................................. 98 2 Black Identity in learning Spaces - The Burden of ‘Acting White’ 111 The Case For or Against Acting White ........................................... 128 Chapter 5 - Space, Race, Gender and Intersectionality ................ 134 Introduction................................................................................... 134 Space (in Society) – The Final Frontier ......................................... 141 Voices from Outsiders Inside ........................................................ 151 Marked Bodies in White Spaces .................................................... 152 Whose Space? ................................................................................ 156 Token(s) ......................................................................................... 160 Who is a Victim? ............................................................................ 165 Race (less) in Society .................................................................... 168 In the Face of Adversity - Resilience ............................................. 171 (Whose) Gender in Society ............................................................ 174 Tales of Gender and Race .............................................................. 177 Internalising Microaggression ....................................................... 196 Are We There Yet? ......................................................................... 202 Chapter 6 - The (In) visibility/Hyper-visibility of Blackness ........ 206 Introduction................................................................................... 206 What is Invisibility/Hyper-visibility? ............................................ 206 The Notion of Invisibility/Hyper-visibility .................................... 207 (In)visible/Hyper-visible and Blackness ....................................... 215 Chapter 7 - Cultural Assets Mediating Learning ........................... 225 Introduction................................................................................... 225 Bourdieu on Capital ....................................................................... 227 Blackness and Class Status ........................................................... 231 Whose Knowledge? ....................................................................... 235 Black Cultural Knowledge in Educational Establishments? .......... 235 Yosso on Capital ............................................................................ 240 Aspirational Capital ....................................................................... 241 Resistance Capital ......................................................................... 243 Linguistic Capital ........................................................................... 247 Navigational Capital ...................................................................... 250 Familial Capital .............................................................................. 251 Social Capital ................................................................................. 258 Human Capital ............................................................................... 261 Resilience Capital .......................................................................... 264 Concluding Remarks ...................................................................... 269 Chapter 8 - Conclusion .................................................................. 273 Introduction................................................................................... 273 Issues Arising from the Research ................................................. 273 African-centric Epistemologies ...................................................... 280 Limitations of the Study ................................................................ 285 Appendix 1 - GCSE Attainment Gaps ............................................. 292 Free School Meals Eligibility .......................................................... 292 Attainment Gap – Gender .............................................................. 294 Attainment Gap – Ethnicity ........................................................... 295 Appendix 2 – Percentage Attaining L3 at 19 by Free School Meal 296 3 Appendix 3 – Degree Attainment by Ethnicity ............................. 297 Appendix 4 - School Workforce in England November 2013 ........ 298 References ..................................................................................... 299 4 Acknowledgements In memory of my mother Roseanne who inspired me to learn… First and foremost, I must give thanks to my Abba who has sustained me with good health and strength and has performed financial miracles in helping me to complete this research. I must give my warm and sincere thanks to my supervisor Dr. Lorna Roberts and my Director of Studies Professor Maggie MacLure. Thank you for your guidance, advice and support and especially for your questions and suggestions, for reading the many chapters I sent to you and for giving me valuable feedback. Thank you for your understanding during some difficult personal times. Without your support and guidance, I may not have made it. You started this journey with
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