Somali Students' School Experiences: Masculinity, Race and Identity - Hardcover

by Muna Abdi (Author)

This book explores the educational experiences of young male Somali students in British schools. Through narrative research, Abdi offers critical insights into the ways in which identities are constructed, challenged and negotiated in the classroom by sharing stories and artefacts from the students themselves. These stories are shared in a context where a rise in school exclusions, Islamophobia and narratives of youth violence push discussions around identity and belonging to the forefront of political and public debates--making clear the need for this work.

Back Jacket

"Every sentence of Muna Abdi's spell-binding book Somali Students' School Experiences: Masculinity, Race and Identity honours those who come up against Whiteness as the default setting of classroom culture. Every page does justice to the voices of the young Somali men who shared their experiences within the research, and who share their lived experience to illuminate how racism is woven into every crevice of the education system. The book shows us that experiential knowledge is theory-making and what can be achieved when ethics means creating space and being generative. Both achingly beautiful and gut-wrenchingly painful, this monograph is testament to the rich complexity that comes of researching something close to your heart. I couldn't put it down."
--China Mills, Senior Lecturer in Public Health, City, University of London, UK

​This book explores the educational experiences of young male Somali students in British schools. Through narrative research, Abdi offers critical insights into the ways in which identities are constructed, challenged and negotiated in the classroom by sharing stories and artefacts from the students themselves. These stories are shared in a context where a rise in school exclusions, Islamophobia and narratives of youth violence push discussions around identity and belonging to the forefront of political and public debates--making clear the need for this work.

Muna Abdi is the Director of MA Education Consultancy, an international Anti-Racist training and development provider that works with organisations, researchers and policymakers to develop their anti-racist practice. She is a decolonial and anti-racist scholar with over twelve years' experience in research, teaching and community development.

Author Biography

Muna Abdi is the Director of MA Education Consultancy, an international Anti-Racist training and development provider that works with organisations, researchers and policymakers to develop their anti-racist practice. She is a decolonial and anti-racist scholar with over twelve years' experience in research, teaching and community development.