Page 157 - Ana Kozina and Nora Wiium, eds. ▪︎ Positive Youth Development in Contexts. Ljubljana: Educational Research Institute, 2021. Digital Library, Dissertationes (Scientific Monographs), 42.
P. 157
components of positive youth development among native students ...
students’ socio-economic status (Cankar & Zupanc, 2020). First-generation
immigrant students are even frequently considered as students with special
needs (Skubic Ermenc, 2015).
Besides institutional discrimination in education, first- and sec-
ond-generation immigrant youth of an ex-Yugoslavian ethnicity face pre
judice, stereotypes and ethnic discrimination in the spheres of work, social
and political participation, access to the media and everyday life, all strong-
ly embedded in Slovenian society (Kralj, 2008, 2014). Moreover, since 2015
prejudice against refugees and Muslims has been becoming stronger (Faces
of Migration, 2020). The ICCS 2016 and PISA 2018 survey results show that
Slovenian students hold less favourable attitudes to immigrants than the
international averages in both surveys (Klemenčič et al., 2019; Pedagoški
inštitut, 2020).
Research into the personal or developmental assets of immigrant stu-
dents (compared to native students) in Slovenia is very scarce, with only
three being found:
First, the results of a survey (Slodnjak et al., 2002) among Slovenian
adolescents and refugee students from Bosnia showed that Slovenian stu-
dents had lower self-esteem and greater feelings of inadequacy in the aca
demic field, they did not feel loved and more often expressed suicidal
thoughts. Bosnian refugees were more often sad, worried about the future
and physical pain, yet their achievements were not lower than the native
students’ nor did they engage in externalising behaviour more than their
native peers.
Second, a case study was conducted at a high school centre in Velenje
concerning ethnic identity and language use among all students (Peer &
Medica, 2017). During the interviews, while students with an immigrant
background were less prone to answer the questions about their ethnic iden-
tity, had no problems answering which languages they spoke, and chose to
speak in the Slovenian language if a Slovenian was present. The authors
speculated that the question on ethnic identity was closely connected to
the fact that for students with an immigrant background their non-Slove-
nian ethnic identity was mostly developed and maintained in private life,
whereas public life was generally connected to a Slovenian ethnic identi-
ty. Further, by choosing to speak in the Slovenian language the students
with an immigrant background expressed a level of pragmatism, showing
flexible and innovative identities.
157
students’ socio-economic status (Cankar & Zupanc, 2020). First-generation
immigrant students are even frequently considered as students with special
needs (Skubic Ermenc, 2015).
Besides institutional discrimination in education, first- and sec-
ond-generation immigrant youth of an ex-Yugoslavian ethnicity face pre
judice, stereotypes and ethnic discrimination in the spheres of work, social
and political participation, access to the media and everyday life, all strong-
ly embedded in Slovenian society (Kralj, 2008, 2014). Moreover, since 2015
prejudice against refugees and Muslims has been becoming stronger (Faces
of Migration, 2020). The ICCS 2016 and PISA 2018 survey results show that
Slovenian students hold less favourable attitudes to immigrants than the
international averages in both surveys (Klemenčič et al., 2019; Pedagoški
inštitut, 2020).
Research into the personal or developmental assets of immigrant stu-
dents (compared to native students) in Slovenia is very scarce, with only
three being found:
First, the results of a survey (Slodnjak et al., 2002) among Slovenian
adolescents and refugee students from Bosnia showed that Slovenian stu-
dents had lower self-esteem and greater feelings of inadequacy in the aca
demic field, they did not feel loved and more often expressed suicidal
thoughts. Bosnian refugees were more often sad, worried about the future
and physical pain, yet their achievements were not lower than the native
students’ nor did they engage in externalising behaviour more than their
native peers.
Second, a case study was conducted at a high school centre in Velenje
concerning ethnic identity and language use among all students (Peer &
Medica, 2017). During the interviews, while students with an immigrant
background were less prone to answer the questions about their ethnic iden-
tity, had no problems answering which languages they spoke, and chose to
speak in the Slovenian language if a Slovenian was present. The authors
speculated that the question on ethnic identity was closely connected to
the fact that for students with an immigrant background their non-Slove-
nian ethnic identity was mostly developed and maintained in private life,
whereas public life was generally connected to a Slovenian ethnic identi-
ty. Further, by choosing to speak in the Slovenian language the students
with an immigrant background expressed a level of pragmatism, showing
flexible and innovative identities.
157
