Fight, flight and playing white: an examination of coping strategies adopted by gypsy traveller adolescents in English secondary schools.

Derrington, C. (2007) Fight, flight and playing white: an examination of coping strategies adopted by gypsy traveller adolescents in English secondary schools. International Journal of Educational Research. 46(6), pp. 357-367. 0883-0355.

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Item Type:	Article
Abstract:	This paper draws on findings from a longitudinal study of Gypsy Traveller1 students attending English secondary schools. Analysis of over 400 interviews with 44 Gypsy Traveller students, their parents and teachers over a 5-year period identified several pull and push factors that impact on secondary school engagement and retention. Of these, cultural dissonance (a result of conflicting expectations between home and school) and social exclusion feature strongly. Students who relied on maladaptive coping strategies to deal with psychosocial stress associated with cultural dissonance and social exclusion tended to drop out of school early. These maladaptive strategies are referred to here as fight (physical and verbal retaliation and non-compliance), flight (self-imposed exclusion) and playing white (passing identity by concealing or denying one's heritage). Those who were retained in school to the age of 16 displayed more adaptive strategies such as cognitive re-framing, developing social support networks and adopting a bicultural identity.
Subjects:	L Education > LC Special aspects of Education > LC3503 Romanies. Gypsies
Creators:	Derrington, Chris
Publisher:	Elsevier
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes:	University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Education & Humanities
Date:	1 December 2007
Date Type:	Publication
Page Range:	pp. 357-367
Journal or Publication Title:	International Journal of Educational Research
Volume:	46
Number:	6
Language:	English
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2007.06.001
ISSN:	0883-0355
Status:	Published / Disseminated
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/169

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