The schooling and identity of Asian girls - Farzana Shain

Challenging western misconceptions and stereoptypes of young Asian girls, this book through the analysis of Asian girls experiences reassesses the role that schooling can play in shaping their identities. It draws on an empirical study with Muslim, Hindu and Sikh schoolgirls of Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi descent in two regions of England and the strategies they employ to deal with the experiences of schooling. It demonstrates that they are far from being passive victims of static cultures but are instead actively involved in creating and recreating identities that re-work both the residual cultures of the "home" and the regional cultures they now inhabit. The author aims to capture the complex reality of the lived experiences of Asian girls in contemporary society. She attempts to provide teachers with alternative ways of conceptualizing what it is to be an Asian schoolgirl and suggests how teachers cans use their new understanding to improve their professional practice and the academic attainment of their students.