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Youth ‘at risk’: further marginalizing the marginalized?
Citation
te Riele, K, Youth at risk': further marginalizing the marginalized?, Journal of Education Policy, 21, (2) pp. 129-145. ISSN 0268-0939 (2006) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
© 2006 Taylor & Francis
DOI: doi:10.1080/02680930500499968
Abstract
Youth ‘at risk’ is the currently favoured label used in Australian policy for youth whose educational outcomes are considered too low, with an emphasis on the risk of not completing senior secondary education. Although some research has identified factors contributing to this risk as stemming from complex interactions between individual and family circumstances as well as characteristics of schools and society, policy identification of youth ‘at risk’ has tended to simplistically focus on personal attributes of young people. Moreover, this identification has set up a false distinction between a supposed problematic minority versus a ‘normal’ majority. Thus, the dominant conceptualization of youth ‘at risk’ draws attention to what is wrong with these youth, rather than to what may be wrong with schooling. This paper examines both empirical observations and discursive conceptualizations to critique the ‘youth at risk’ label, and proposes use of the concept of ‘marginalized students’ instead, which identifies individuals not through their personal characteristics but through their relationship with schooling. This approach allows recognition that marginalization is at least in part a product of schools and society, and requires action in those arenas.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | education, education policy, at risk youth, marginalised youth |
Research Division: | Education |
Research Group: | Education policy, sociology and philosophy |
Research Field: | Education policy |
Objective Division: | Education and Training |
Objective Group: | Schools and learning environments |
Objective Field: | Equity and access to education |
UTAS Author: | te Riele, K (Professor Kitty te Riele) |
ID Code: | 113844 |
Year Published: | 2006 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 94 |
Deposited By: | Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment |
Deposited On: | 2017-01-24 |
Last Modified: | 2017-05-23 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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