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Hidden among Privilege: Increasing Belonging for Low SES Students at Affluent Schools through Participatory Action Research

Abstract

This participatory action research study engaged twelve members of an affluent school community in studying socioeconomic exclusion at their own school. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who attend predominantly affluent schools lack a sense of belonging in such environments (Horvat & Antonio, 1999; Khan, 2012; Kuriloff and Reichert, 2003). While low SES students may benefit academically by attending elite schools, their perceived outsider status creates a psychological cost and prevents them from experiencing the full benefits of such schools (Horvat & Antonio, 1999; Kuriloff & Reichert, 2003; Martin, 2012; McLoughlin, 2012).

As adult and student participants worked together to understand sources of class-based exclusion at their school, they came to see how the school’s culture promotes upper-class norms and excludes lower SES students. The team engaged in cycles of background learning, data collection, discussion and analysis of the data, and development of recommendations and interventions. The study ultimately explored how the collaborative learning process itself unfolded and the extent to which it changed the way participants thought about the problem of class-based exclusion at the school.

The action research team identified tangible sources of exclusion and developed concrete recommendations. Lower SES students at the school were less able than their affluent peers to afford extracurricular activities and trips, creating an experience gap between wealthy and non-wealthy students. The team recommended changes to financial aid policies and practices, as well as expanded faculty training, to shrink the gap and create a more equitable experience. Most importantly, though, the team uncovered subtle daily comments that assumed wealth and promoted affluent norms. By opening participants’ eyes to such deep cultural forms of exclusion, the research process itself served as an intervention to shift individuals’ thinking. The study ultimately demonstrates the power of collaborative inquiry to change cultural norms and assumptions, starting with individuals’ cognitive frames.

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