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Discussion: What hinders the development of positive interethnic relations?
Reginald McKelvin
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
Reginald McKelvin
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Reginald McKelvin.
Email: [email protected]
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Part 2: Discussion: What hinders the development of positive interethnic relations in your
school?
The world today is a global village owing to the advancements of technology and
globalization. This advancement translates to the movement of people from one nation or one
area to the other thus; interactions go beyond ethnic and race to interethnic relations. Like any
different social setting, schools are currently experiencing an influx of a student body comprised
of students from various ethnic groups. Historically, people were discriminated against and
continue to be determined upon based on their ethnic affiliations. The discriminations and
segregations based on an individual's ethnic group have for a long time impeding the
development of positive interethnic relations in my school. Most students have been socialized in
the homes and societies not to accept individuals hailing from a particular ethnic group (Predko,
2020). For instance, students hailing from white backgrounds are advised against interacting and
making friends with students from African, Latinos, or Hispanics, and vice versa also happens.
This socialization into discriminating and segregating students from a different ethnic group is a
significant impediment to developing positive interethnic relations in school.
Differential treatment of the staff, both teaching and non-teaching staff at the school, due
to their ethnic background is another factor that hinders positive interethnic relations in my
school. Discrimination and segregation are also experienced among the employees of the school.
Most staff relate with staff members from their ethnic background and shun any relations with
teachers from a different ethnic group. The teachers also pick on students who hail from various
ethnic groups as they show unmerited favor to students from their ethnic group. This
discriminatory behavior by teachers who are majorly looked upon as role models for the students
encourages ethnicity among the students (Thijs, 2017). This phenomenon happens because most
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students look up to their teachers. If teachers themselves are discriminated against by their fellow
teachers and other students, they feel and see it as the right thing to do. This interweb of
discrimination and unfair treatment based on ethnic affiliations hinders positive interethnic
relations in the schools.
A school culture that promotes discrimination based on ethnic grounds impedes the
development of positive interethnic relations. Organization or School culture refers to the beliefs
and values practiced in a given environment. The culture at my school is made up of segregation
based on racial and ethnic backgrounds. The discrimination is evident in the organization of
classes, playgrounds, and dining areas. In all these sectors, there are specific areas where
students from white backgrounds carry out their activities; there are corners for African
Americans; there is also an area for Hispanics. Most students are found in groups of friends
hailing from the same ethnic background. This culture has been in existence since the formation
of the school and has dramatically hampered all the activities and initiations geared towards
encouraging positive interethnic relations. The school lacks a multicultural culture making it
difficult to handle any interethnic issues or conflicts in the school (Vervaet et al., 2018). Instead,
these conflicts worsen the interethnic relations in the school.
In my school, the composition of clubs is aligned along ethnic lines. This is another
phenomenon that hinders the development of positive interethnic relations. Most of the clubs
comprise one particular ethnic group, which inhibits and makes it impossible for students from
other ethnic groups to join the clubs. The majority of the clubs are made up of students hailing
from the white race, and a few have students of African American or black origin, while only a
few have Latinos. Latino or black students interested in science clubs which are dominantly
composed of white students, remarkably lose an opportunity to learn more in science. Clubs are
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extra curriculum activities linked to positive student engagement for eventual positive academic
achievement (Knifsend et al., 2018). Failure or exclusion of students from the clubs due to ethnic
lines affects the students' performance and academic achievements in school and even after
school and acts as an impediment in interethnic relations among the students. The socialization,
segregation, racism, and inequalities that cause discrimination along ethnic or racial lines have
been instrumental in encouraging further prejudices at the schools, which hinders the
development of positive interracial relations in my school.
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References
Knifsend, C. A., Camacho-Thompson, D. E., Juvonen, J., & Graham, S. (2018). Friends in
activities, school-related effect, and academic outcomes in diverse middle schools.
Journal of youth and adolescence,A47(6), 1208-1220.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10964-018-0817-6
Predko, V. (2020). ETHNIC IDENTITY IS THE MAIN FACTOR OF SOCIALIZATION.
Sciences of Europe, (48-4 (48)). https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/ethnic-identity-as-the-
main-factor-of-socializat ion
Thijs, J. (2017). Student-Teacher Relationships and Interethnic Relations. The Wiley Handbook
of group processes in children and adolescents, 416-434.
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118773123.ch20
Vervaet, R., Van Houtte, M., & Stevens, P. A. (2018). Multicultural school leadership,
multicultural teacher culture, and the ethnic prejudice of Flemish pupils. Teaching and
Teacher Education,A76, 68-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.08.009
