The Pathologizing and Complicity of Brown Boys ― Minoritized High School Students in Danger

Basing his analysis on ethnographic narrative inquiry fieldwork investigating an 11th-grade social studies class in a North American high school, the author argues that "brown boys" (i.e., South Asian male students) are pathologized and "minoritized" (subjected to hegemonic cultural and institutional forces even if they comprise the majority of the student body) in North American education, often leading the disaffection of these students. The study explores student experiences of inclusion, marginalization, success, and failure; investigates student roles in their own disaffection, examines how educators and educational leaders understand and relate to their South Asian students, and provides recommendations for reframing policies and reshaping practices in light of the findings. Annotation c2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

Anish Sayani (PhD in educational leadership, University of British Columbia) teaches in the faculty of education at UBC. He also consults for the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board (ITREB), Canada, in the area of educational leadership and teacher development.