Identity, Aspirations and Constraints

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Identity, Aspirations and Constraints

• Study of Turkish, Kurdish and Turkish Cypriot
  Girls in Islington

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Outline of session

• Why this group why girls
• Focus on identity as viewed by girls schools
• Explore aspirations
• Consider constraints on aspirations
• Think about link between identity and achievement

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Why Turkish, Kurdish and Turkish Cypriot Girls?

• Underachievement (30 5 A-C in 2001)
• Reverse gender gap in some years (2003, 2005-7)
• Failure to convert sound KS3 attainment
• into 5 A-C GCSEs
• Bipolar distribution of results

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Methodology

• Small scale qualitative study
• 3 perspectives (triangulation)
• Girls / Parents/ School staff
• Semi-structured interviews in 3 schools (group
  and individual)
• Analysis of themes

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Girls GCSE 2002 - 2007
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GCSE Higher levels of attainment 2006
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Theme of Identity

• Ethnicity is key element in identity
• It is linked to family
• because my parents are Turkish, Im Turkish as
  well.
• Multiple ethnic identities, eg Turkish and
  Kurdish / Turkish Cypriot most common (50)
• Also monoethnic Turkish mainly but also Kurdish

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Multiple ethnic identity

• Stressing common ground and dual heritage

Im half Turkish because my mums Turkish but I
feel more a part of the Kurdish people than
Turkish people. (Nejla)
Although Im a Cypriot, I grew up with Turkish
and Kurdish people more than my family, I feel
theyre my family (Aydin)
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Also mono-ethnic but British?

• The minority view

Im a hundred percent Turkish
Were half of everything were half British as
well
Im a hundred percent Kurdish
I feel like a Turkish person although I was born
here although we have our British passports, we
still have that Turkish thing inside and around
us in society.
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Perceptions of Turkish/ Kurdish Turkish Cypriot
Pupils in School

• Research - allegations of invisibility (Enneli,
  Modood, Bradley, 2005)
• 3 schools felt that they had a presence
• Congregate together across year group
• Use of Turkish
• Visual impact
• A mixed bunch / entire spread

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School interviews images of girl students

• High-achieving girls
• Studious, hard-working
• Friendships with other ethnic groups

• Low-achieving girls
• Over-interested in appearance hair, make-up
• Friendships with own ethnic group

Can lead to stereotype of Turkish girl not
interested, wont learn
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A possible framework for interpretation Archer
(2005)

• Based on 3 studies
• Girls difficult relationship with education
• Ideal pupil discourse / girls found wanting
• Too quiet
• Too loud
• Too (hetero)sexual
• Too working-class
• Too black (Turkish)

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Aspirations Educational Occupational

• Research context Ahead of the Game, 2006 ME
  girls have high aspirations
• Study Findings
• Almost all wanted further education
• 75 wanted to be graduates

• Jobs/careers
• Professional/ Semi
• the Law, police, Psychiatry.
• Self-employed
• business
• Creative / Media
• fashion design, music
• Practical
• beauty

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Parental Aspirations

• Higher education paramount
• Half mention careers
• Subsidiary theme of economic independence

Id like her to continue studying, especially
something she enjoys
I want her to have a career and to work
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Aspirations personal lives10 years on (25)

• Just under half anticipate marriage or close
  relationship and children mid 20s.
• Younger than national average (29 plus)
• Possible conflict with educational and career
  projections
• Theme of personal happiness/ fulfilment
• (not expressed by parents)
• I just want a happy life I want to be free.

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Constraints on aspirations School

• School / teacher expectations
• Mixed
• My school wants me to do well
• But also experiences of lower expectations
• they (teachers) dont like Turkish people, well
  basically theyre the dumbest people in
  education.
• cos they know that we dont care about
  education thats what they think.

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Constraints inner/psychological

• Theres always something holding me back.
• About a third of girls express ambivalence
• about commitment to study
• Theme of getting distracted, especially by
  same-ethnicity peers
• Youre with your own culture you just go a bit
  mad and dont think about your education that
  much.

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Constraints Parents

• High volume of complaints about restrictions
  (going out seeing friends)
• Parental restrictions unintended consequences
• Its not exactly our free time, we work too, but
  its like our free time, thats why we get
  distracted from our work

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Parents Involvement in Education System

• Language as barrier
• Especially true for mothers
• Did not take proactive role
• Familiarity with education system limited
• My Mum and Dad dont understand, but they want
  to know Im getting good grades.
• Difficult to monitor childrens progress
• 16 Children rely on school or outside agencies
  eg Connexions for advice

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School Environment
Teachers unimpressed
Girls in class Range of attitudes Some not engaged
Stereotype T/K girl Not interested Wont
learn Too loud Too heterosexual Too Turkish
Lowered Expectations

• Parents high
• aspirations