Working paper delivered at Sheffield Hallam University 12 July 2017

1. 'Really?... Inclusion in English
higher education? Academic
achievement, whiteness and
misrecognition
@mannymadriaga

2. Misrecognising race and racism
My research question: what is the extent of HEIs embracing a
‘majoritarian narrative’ of race inequalities in education, in which
proposed solutions are ‘value neutral’ and ‘colour-blind’?

3. rundown
• Problematising the notion of inclusive practice in HE
• Misrecognition (miseducation)
• ‘Refusal’ work
• Possibilities of ‘recognition’ work in our academic practice…

4. Discomfort…

5. Inclusion in HE (HEFCE 2017)

6. Inclusion [in HE]
‘[Inclusive education] asserts that the aim of inclusion is to reduce
exclusion and discriminatory attitudes, including those in relation to
age, social class, ethnicity, religion, gender and attainment. It does not
focus only on a response to individuals but on how settings, policies,
cultures and structures can recognise and value diversity (Ainscow et
al. 2006, 2).

7. Inclusion [in HE]
‘[Inclusive education] asserts that the aim of inclusion is to reduce
exclusion and discriminatory attitudes, including those in relation to
age, social class, ethnicity, religion, gender and attainment. It does not
focus only on a response to individuals but on how settings, policies,
cultures and structures can recognise and value diversity (Ainscow et
al. 2006, 2).

8. ‘…recognise and value diversity…’?
• The likes of Charles Taylor, Iris Marion Young and Nancy Fraser have
all challenged the liberal ethic (“everybody is the same”) to recognise
group differences in order to halt continual misrecognition and
invisibility.
• In the dominant discourse on the so-called ‘BME gap attainment’
issue –> racism is not recognised in explanations -> particularly in the
UK.

9. ‘…recognise and value diversity…’?
'To be misrecognized… is not simply to be thought ill of, looked down
upon or devalued in others’ attitudes, beliefs or representations. It is
rather to be denied the status of a full partner in social interaction, as a
consequence of institutionalized patterns of cultural value that
constitute one as comparatively unworthy of respect or esteem...’
(Fraser 2000, 113-4).

10. Majoritarian story – ‘bme gap attainment’
‘…inadequate academic background, often linked to attending state
rather than private schools, or having, 'non-traditional' qualifications,
and, consequently, having an inadequate knowledge base on which to
build, meaning they quickly fell behind their peers; academic
communication 'deficiencies' - both inadequate English language skills
and also an inability to write well academically…’
Taken from Stevenson's (2012, 10) work, some university staff she interviewed
offered explanations which suggested that the blame for achievement gap fell
with BME students themselves.

11. Misrecognising race and racism
My research question: what is the extent of HEIs embracing a
‘majoritarian narrative’ of race inequalities in education, in which
proposed solutions are ‘value neutral’ and ‘colour-blind’?

12. Recognising and valuing diversity?
• Under the banner of ‘inclusion’:
• Are we recognising the culture and differences that students bring to our
classrooms? (bell hooks)
• Are we recognising the pain and frustration of racism and discrimination that
our students of colour face on an everyday basis (post-Brexit, post-Trump
era)? (Chris Emdin)
• Does our teaching, curriculum and assessment practices connect with our
local, ‘urban’ students? (Gloria Ladson-Billings)
• Are we ‘racially literate’ teachers? (Benjamin Blaisdell)

13. Our students = hip-hop, grime generation
Yes, I grew up on the dole in a single parent family
Been through a little bit of tragedy
Yes I was around drugs and violence before the day that I started secondary
And that’s part of it not half of it, get the picture, the rest ain’t necessary
Growing up, got a little caught up, but that ain’t even half of my life
Also given the knowledge of self
That is all we actually need to survive
If you saw me aged 9, reading Malcolm just fine
Teachers still treated me stupid
Students that couldn’t speak English, they put me in groups with
Fire in the booth - Akala

14. Hip-hop generation
School is like a 12-step brainwash camp
They make you think if you drop out you ain't got a chance
To advance in life, they try to make you pull your pants up
Students fight the teachers and get took away in handcuffs
And if that wasn't enough, then they expel y'all
Your peoples understand it, but to them, you a failure
They schools - dead prez

15. Hip-hop generation
Yeah, this album is dedicated to all the teachers that told me
I'd never amount to nothin'
Juicy – Notorious B.I.G.

16. Hip-hop generation
I sit in your unknown class while you're failing us
I failed your class 'cause I ain't with your reasoning
You're trying make me you by seasoning
You must learn - Boogie Down Productions

17. Misrecognising race and racism
• Whiteness (Gillborn 2005; Leonardo 2016)
• Antiblackness (Dumas 2016)
• 'the essence of antiblackness in education policy: the Black is constructed as
always already problem—as nonhuman; inherently uneducable, or at very
least, unworthy of education; and, even in a multiracial society, always a
threat to... everything else' (Dumas 2016, 16).
• Critical Race Theory (CRT)
• Tenets of CRT
• Counter the dominant narrative

18. ‘Refusal’ work
• Refusal in research (Tuck and Yang 2014, 817) – ‘Refusal makes space
for recognition, and for reciprocity. Refusal turns the gaze back upon
power…’
• Studying up
• McCaig (2015) – analysing OFFA access agreements
• 8 English universities recognised for their race work in the sector
• OFFA access agreement
• Action plan to address race inequity within institution
• Teaching Excellence Framework submission

19. Inclusive Teaching
• University B
• University D
• University E

20. University B
“The university has developed an inclusive teaching and learning
materials policy that has a focus on disabled students and a student
charter that provides guidance on behaviours… To augment the
university inclusive teaching and learning materials policy to consider
all aspects of diversity.”

22. University D
“Issues must be addressed through the review of resources, materials,
teaching methods, and assessment to ensure these are inclusive of all
students…. Recent examples of changes to sources used and cited in
programmes in response to our work on inclusive practice include:
• Introduction of a module in African American Literature
• Diversification of the journal subscription lists by information
managers
• Introduction of video clips, guest lecturers and TED talks from
prominent academics of a BME background in disciplines where the
majority of the staff team were of a White British background”

23. University F
Limited mention of inclusion or inclusive practice:
Summer school proposed…
“Enhance all students’ understandings in relation to ‘race’ and
encourage them to think critically and self-reflectively on the issues
from a very early point in their experience .“

24. Warikoo 2016

25. Culturally Relevant/Reality Pedagogies
• University G: indicated
in its action plan that
STEM subjects do not
lend themselves to
‘diversity issues’

26. Culturally Relevant/Reality Pedagogies