Pride and prejudice in the Netherlands Treatment of the themes respect, prejudice, discrimination and racism in Dutch secondary education

Abstract

The present study focuses on the treatment of the themes respect, prejudice/stereotyping, discrimination and racism in secondary Dutch education. The Dutch government has established a set of core goals for the education of the social sciences in secondary education, in which these themes are (implicitly) addressed. The aim of this study is to explore the relations between the core goals set by the Dutch government and the understanding of these themes as expressed in (some of) the course-books on the one hand, and the way individual teachers view and handle the themes throughout their lectures on the other. Within this general aim, the ideas and perceptions of some secondary school students with respect to the central themes, were also explored. An intersectional theoretical and methodological framework is used, in addition to a theoretical one that includes elements of everyday racism and (ethnic) minorisation. For this study semi-structured interviews were conducted with six teachers of the course ‘study of society’ in secondary schools (in all three education levels offered in the Netherlands: vmbo, havo, vwo) in different areas of the country. Additionally, the core goals of the government and the content of the used course-books were analysed. Finally, to get an insight into the views and interpretations of pupils themselves, workshops were held in a couple of vmbo, havo and vwo classes.