North Western Pakistani Pashtun Perspectives on the Educational Achievement of Their Children in England
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North Western Pakistani Pashtun Perspectives on the Educational Achievement of Their Children in England A Thesis Submitted to the University of Worcester in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Sophia Bokhari July 2015 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of The University of Worcester is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case I have made clear references and citations). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. Dedication This PhD is dedicated to my mother, who loves me unconditionally. Without you, I would not have believed and hoped. My first teacher, you instilled the love of learning in me. This is for you. Acknowledgements I would like to firstly mention my two grandfathers, Syed Pehlwan Shah and the Late Syed Rafique Shah. They gave me the belief as a child that anything is possible with focus, goals and education, regardless of gender and background. Their time, love and prayers made me the woman I am today. And to my nani-ami, you nurtured me and empowered me to become an independent all rounder. To love all life, be humble, honourable and respectful. For my father who worked tirelessly to raise us and who puts everyone before himself. I am blessed to be your daughter. My brothers Kazam, Asim, Qasim and Hussnain who are my rocks in life and without whom I would be lost. Kazam, your efforts in supporting me to completion will never be forgotten. I thank my husband Yusuf whose positivity and belief in me always is unwavering. He gave me the strength to complete this work even in the most difficult of times. I want to mention my sons, Adam Solomon and Hasann Abrahem, both the noor of my life, my primary motivation in life. Adam would often approach me working and give me that much needed boost, “Mummy-ji, how many words have you done now? Nearly finished? You can do this. I’m so proud of you”. Hasann would approach me with a long list of ‘to-do’s’ on completion, one of which is to take him to see the dinosaurs at the National History Musuem as soon I submit this thesis! For my sister in law, Heena, your encouraging words were more valued than you probably thought. To my close friend Sofia who has always believed in me and motivated me to complete this doctorate. Thankyou I want to mention Aunty Noreen, Uncle Nadeem, Fatima, Umar, Jannat and Ali who supported me to complete in many more ways than they know. They gave my children the love and comfort at weekends when their mummy would be locked away writing. Adam and Hasann thrived under their care, and I am forever grateful. I want to thank Stephen Bigger, the supervisor I waited for. A thoroughly patient and supportive critical friend without whom this work would not have come to completion. I will treasure the visits to his home and how accommodating both he and Jean were. To my second supervisor, Alex, it was an absolute pleasure working with you, your insights were priceless and your approach, kind and motivating. I want to mention Mrs Khan, the inspirational teacher who made me believe as a child that no matter where you come from, no matter what you go through, you can achieve anything you set your sights on. She taught me about valuing life and humanity. She made me want to study human nature and be different and challenge norms. Every child needs a ‘Mrs Khan’ to reach their potential. Finally but not in the least, I want to thank all the community animateurs and participants without whom this research would not have happened. They accepted me into their community, trusted me and enabled me to write about the issues affecting them. I pray as a first piece of work on the NWP Pashtun community, it will be seen as a platform to helping the community and educationalists identify, face up to and overcome hurdles to achieve educationally. I am indebted to you and your hospitality, Mehrbani. Abstract This thesis provides an analysis based on a qualitative modified Grounded Theory approach of the perceptions of people belonging to the North Western Pakistani Pashtun population residing in England, regarding the educational achievement of their children. The research involved participants across five sites: Birmingham, Bradford, East London, Oldham and Manchester. All participants originated from the village and tribal areas of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan. Names have been anonymised, and details that might enable identification omitted. Fieldwork took place between 2012 and 2014. Research techniques used were qualitative questionnaires and interviews. The research aimed to unpick the extent to which ethnicity promoted or hindered educational achievement within this selected population. In addition it also highlighted the inextricable link, as perceived by the population between their educational achievement and their combined ethnicity, cultural, economic and social capital. Initial and focused coding and a relational analysis of a situational map were undertaken, in line with a modified Grounded Theory methodology. The study identifies one core category: educational apathy, as deep set, and its properties and dimensions are thoroughly explored in relation to the selected population. A further two categories: gender inequality and the role of Islam emerge as issues that also need to be addressed for increased educational achievement. This study supplies a historical context for North-Western Pakistani Pashtuns and their identity as an ethnic group. Reasons are given for the avoidance of the term ‘Pathan’. The thesis describes migration patterns to England and the socialisation of these Pashtuns as a migrant population. Official data on this selected population in England is scarce so demographic indications are taken from official school censuses (2007-2012) and national censuses (1991, 2001 and 2011) on language, free school meals and qualifications. In cases where there was an absence of data, data were gleaned for the broader ‘Pakistani’ population. The thesis evidences the relative income poverty within North-Western Pakistani Pashtun families living in inner city ghettoised areas of England, by relating their experiences of social class and socio-economic status to their negative perceptions of educational achievement. There is little literature nationally or internationally on this selected population, so this thesis offers new knowledge. This particular ethnic group is ‘hard to reach’ as they are generally reticent to open up to outsider researchers. I was able to work with a substantial sample (n=107) because, although an outsider, I was brought up alongside members of this population and was therefore trusted. The research makes a contribution by identifying this population as a separate group with a distinct ethnicity, language, and cultural and social capital. To date, North-Western Pakistani Pashtuns have been obscured within the categories of ‘Pakistani’ or ‘Afghani’ which neglects the needs and plight of this population within England. This research, I firmly believe is the first to provide a) an insight into this population in England and b) a discussion on issues affecting their educational achievement. Contents Page Abstract List of Tables List of Figures Glossary Acronyms Chapter 1 Introduction 1. Overview 1 1.1 Research Questions and Aims 1 1.2 Context 2 1.3 Background to The Study 2 1.4 Justification for the research 3 1.5 Ethnicity 6 1.6 Methodology 7 1.7 Research Sites 9 1.8 Ethical Considerations 9 1.9 Researcher with insider knowledge 10 1.10 Key assumptions, delimitations of scope and limitations 12 1.11 The political importance of this research. 15 1.12 Outline of the study 17 Part I Background Chapter 2 Pashtuns in England 2.1 Introduction 19 2.2 Pakistan and its North West Province-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 19 2.3 Who are the Pashtuns? 31 2.4 Pakistanis and North Western Pakistani Pashtuns Migrating and Settling in England 36 2.5 Chapter Summary 43 Chapter 3 The Focus on Educational Achievement 3.1 Introduction 44 3.2 Educational Achievement 44 3.3 Ethnic Minority Achievement 47 3.4 National Statistics on Education 50 3.5 Free School Meals and Attainment 57 3.6 Poverty 62 3.7 Government Agenda 65 3.8 Theoretical Underpinnings 66 3.9 Chapter Summary 71 Part II Methodological Approach Chapter 4 Methodology 4.1 Introduction 72 4.2 The Nature of Qualitative Research 73 4.3 Ethical Considerations 74 4.4 Reflexivity 78 4.5 Ontology and Epistemology 80 4.6 Situating this Study 84 4.7 Getting to Grips with Interpretation 85 4.8 Philosophical Alignment of Interpretation 90 4.9 Influence from Grounded Theory 93 4.10 Research Design 96 4.11 Sampling and Recruitment 98 4.12 Coding 99 4.13 Memo-writing 102 4.14 Chapter Summary 104 Chapter 5 Pilot Study 5.1 Introduction 105 5.2 Overview of Pilot study Interviews and Questionnaires 108 5. 3 Pilot Interviews 109 5.4 Pilot Questionnaires 112 5.5 Pilot Interviews Data 113 5.6 Pilot Questionnaires Data 122 5.7 False Starts with initial coding in NVivo9 128 5.8 Summary of Initial Coding and Categories of Pilot Interviews and Questionnaires 130 5.9 Chapter Summary 132 Chapter 6 Participant open-ended questionnaires – Methodological Approach 6.1 Introduction 133 6.2 Background