Argentina Mapping ethnic and educational inequalities in an uncharted territory. Research traditions, their contributions and challenges

MEO, ANALÍA INÉS; CIMOLAI, SILVINA; PÉREZ, ANDREA

The Palgrave handbook of race and ethnic inequalities in education

Palgrave Macmillan

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014; p. 5 - 38

This article offers a systematic review of sociological, anthropological and educational research on the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality in Argentina during the period 1980-2010. Five major research traditions are identified: (1) Mapping educational access, (2) Intercultural educational policies, (3) Language conflict and schooling, (4) Difference and diversity, and (5) School texts as a means of othering, with research on ´difference and diversity´ being the most dominant research tradition. Most of the research conducted in Argentina focuses on indigenous minority groups, is qualitative and offers clues about how social, policy and educational discourses contribute to disadvantage some minority ethnic groups´ educational experiences and schooling. This body of research is written in Spanish and mainly developed through academic institutions and funding streams, with researchers focusing on and taking a more critical approach to social policy developments; which are characterized in Argentina by a shift from more assimilation orientated policies to policies that emphasise the reality and importance of multiculturalism.