Race and education

Posted on by Dr Zuleyka Zevallos
A drawing of a woman of colour holding up her mobile taking a photograph

Today, read about an interview with me on the social construction of race and a forthcoming presentation on vocational education and training.

Race

I was interviewed by Metro (UK) for their series, The State of Racism:

“…Race is a social construction,” says Dr. Zuleyka Zevallos, Adjunct Research Fellow at Swinburne University. “Race is a system of classification and stratification, based on perceived biological differences. Race is stratification because these categories rank some groups as superior to others. It’s not based on some innate and immutable scientific fact.”

Read more on Metro UK.

Quote against black background. "Race is a system of stratification because racial categories rank some groups as superior to others."

Education

I’ll be speaking on a panel at the Skills Conference on 11 June 2020. I’ll speak on our collaboration to improve self-help behaviour among apprentices and trainees. We’ve conducted a behavioural insights trial using SMS to increase engagement, to provide resources and other support, and to encourage learners to reach out when they’re struggling with their vocational education and training.

More on the the Skills Conference website.

Other writing

I’ve recently published a comprehensive resource on Intersetionality Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access

Over on my research blog, I’ve written about:

And a few things that I’ve recently tweeted:

On intersectionality

On sexist racism in academia

Visual sociology on TikTok

@othersociology

Touch the screen to reveal Itaya Hiroharu, ‘Hyakki Yagyo.’ #Art Gallery of New South Wales, #Sydney

♬ original sound – othersociology

Movie reviews and visual sociology on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

TW child abuse. Some spoliers: This is a tough film to discuss. I almost didn't watch 'Young Hunter,' because, from the scant description, I knew it is about predatory behaviour and I find this topic difficult on multiple levels. First, depictions of child abuse sometimes hit me hard, as a survivor of child sexual assault. Second, there's an historical link between paedophilia and moral panic about homosexuality that erroneously links the two, and is used to unjustly perpetuate homophobia. This Argentinian production is a pensive and layered look at a tough issue. It is an exploration about how homophobia leaves some young men vulnerable to coercion. The film centres on Eze, who is 15, gay, but not out. We see early the difficulties he faces in trying to hook up with boys his own age. He faces ridicule, exposure and potential violence if he doesn't carefully manage his sexuality. At a skate park, he meets Mono, who appears around 20. They hang out, hook up, and connect emotionally. We learn they both knew they were gay around the same age (13 & 14 respectively), and both had their first sexual experiences with older boys and men. Eze, with 18 year olds who used him for sex and then never spoke to him again. Mono, reveals little, but is holding back a history of abuse. This film has an eerie atmosphere, where boys are almost always in harms' way, whether it's the fear of being outed, or being forced into heterosexuality (everyone questions the 14 & 15 year olds about when they'll get a girlfriend), and much worse. I don't recommend this film to survivors. There are no onscreen depictions of rape, but predatory behaviour and of lack of consent are disturbing. Mono is a child abuse survivor. Both Mono and Eze are coerced into sexual exploitation and are consumed by shame. At its heart, this film has multiple important messages: talk to your kids about sex. Don't presume heterosexuality, because this forces queer kids into a place of distrust and potential exploitation. And like the previous film I reviewed (Tu Me Manques), the biggest take away is perennially relevant, whether your kid is 15 or 50: tell them you love them, unconditionally… ⬇️continued⬇️

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