“Students ‘at risk’: Stereotyping and Schooling of Black Boys” in Urban Education 47 (2), 464-494
This article examines how stereotypes operate in the social construction of African Canadian males as “at risk” students. Cultural analysis and critical race theory are used to explain how the stereotypes of the youth as immigrant, fatherless, troublemaker, athlete, and underachiever contribute to their racialization and marginalization that in turn structure their learning processes, social opportunities, life chances, and educational outcomes. The article concludes by suggesting that addressing the stereotypes is not only a task for educators but also for society as a whole.
Carl James is the Senior Advisor on Equity and Representation in the Office of the Vice President of Equity, People and Culture at York University. He is also the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora and a professor in the Faculty of Education.
Other publications from this author include:
- Colour Matters: Essays on the Experiences, Education, and Pursuits of Black Youth (2021)
- The Equity Myth: Racialization and Indigeneity at Canadian Universities (2017)
- Life at the Intersection: Community, Class and Schooling (2012)
- Making It: Black Youth, Racism and Career Aspirations in a Big City (2010)
- Seeing Ourselves: Exploring Race, Ethnicity and Culture (1999)
- Perspectives on Racism and the Human Services Sector: A Case for Change (1996)