‘We are not worried about Fatima!’ – circulating affects in educational guidance of racially minoritised students in Danish-problematised housing areas

Abstract

ABSTRACTBased on empirical observations of educational guidance and interviews with students and teachers at two Danish schools, as well as critical policy analysis, this article illustrates how worry about future education for racially minoritised students in problematized housing areas is shaped in intersections of place, class, and race. Through an analytical framework combining affect theory and intersectionality, the article identifies two figures of worry: The overambitious bilingual student and the bilingual student in trouble. These figures draw on racialized histories of immigrant parents as unable to support their children, and position the students as in need of intervention from the state. Educational guidance comes to work as a further racializing force that gains momentum through affective circulations of worry and care across school practice, policy and political rhetoric. This results in a limitation of the educational opportunities considered ‘realistic’ to the students, placing them in a disadvantaged position when making important decisions for their future.KEYWORDS: Educational guidanceDenmarkproblematised housing areasaffectworry AcknowledgmentsI would like to thank my PhD supervisor, Trine Øland for her insightful comments on previous drafts of this article. I would also like to thank the members of the History and Sociology of Welfare Work research group as well as my colleagues in the Sections of Education at University of Copenhagen and Lund University for thought provoking and inspiring comments on early drafts of this article.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Ethical approval of studyThis study has been ethically approved by the Research & Impact Department at University of Copenhagen and given the journal number 514–0107/22–4000. All participants in this study have provided informed written consent to participate.Notes1. I do not have the space to investigate the relation between gender and race further than to point out that gender – along with categories such as place and class – partake in racializing the students. However, it would be relevant to analyze relationship between gender and race in the material further in a future article.2. All empirical examples, both ethnographic and documents, are translated from Danish by the author.3. ‘Gymnasium’ in Danish. A three-year secondary education similar to high school which generally qualifies for admission to university, depending on grade points acquired and required for admission to the educational programmes.4. A two-year programme, which qualifies for admission to higher education programmes at academies and university colleges. Does not give access to university.5. A three-year commercial upper secondary education programme, which qualifies students for admission to Danish business academies, schools of technology and design, university colleges and universities.6. SU is a monthly state funded grant awarded to all Danish students above the age of 18. An SU-rider refers to a student who enrolls in various education programs primarily to obtain the monthly grant.7. Practicum is a mandatory part of the educational guidance program in 8th grade. For a week, students try a ‘real job’ to gain experience with something they find interesting.