The Classroom and the Construction of Inferiority
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Conceptions of foreignness derive from attributions that another is different. Perceived differences can be because of physiological characteristics, or cultural differences. When foreignness becomes associated with inferiority, those ascribed to this "foreignness" are often relegated to the status of the abject. This process of developing a nationwide consciousness of ascribing “other” to certain groups, commences in early-age environments such as the home and school. LaRochelle in The School of Race examines how early Quebecois textbooks racialized and dehumanized non-European people.
In the early 19th century, textbooks exoticized non-European people (113). By the late 19th century, the emphasis shifted to racial taxonomies based on ideas of skin colour and intelligence. Black people, in particular, were dehumanized, and described as being cannibals (104). One example of dehumanization from the Frères des écoles chrétiennes textbook conflated Black people with gorillas, stating: “Here, the gorilla, the largest of the ape species, abounds. The Fans and other inland tribes are cannibals. Human flesh is bought and sold in the markets.” (147) This passage transitions from gorillas to human beings without any acknowledgment of their difference, fluidly equating Black people with animals.. These portrayals taught Canadian schoolchildren to view Black people as less than human. This legacy of racialized education fosters feelings of unworthiness and foreignness in racialized students. It teaches them biases they must then navigate, and often internalizes harmful stereotypes and racism met within the school population.
Martin, in Feeling Inferior, similarly reflects on the inferiority that racialized people face within the context of Quebec, France's cultural kin. The classroom functions as a site of colonization where thought is indoctrinated and disseminated. Racism, which affects individuals psychologically, mentally, and emotionally, often stems from a broader culture and system that perpetuates this marginalization. Thomas's experience demonstrates this. As a Black student, he felt compelled to work “two times, three times harder than the others” to prove himself against the racism of his teacher (168). While this determination led to his success, it emerged from an unjust system that undervalued his abilities based on race. This pressure to overperform is not a healthy motivator but a survival mechanism in a system that demands exceptionalism from marginalized students.
Karim has a similar experience to Thomas, deepened by the historical legacy of French colonialism. Encouraged by his mother to excel in school, Karim worked hard but still would constantly doubt himself. He felt “less intelligent than the others” and that “he was not capable” (149). Additionally, in the classroom environment, his history was erased from the curriculum, leaving an absence where his history and heritage should have been acknowledged(149). This systemic neglect of colonial histories not only erased his identity but reinforced a sense of otherness and invisibility. Despite Karim's academic success, feelings of inferiority instilled in childhood have not left him. For many racialized students, the classroom becomes the first place where they are taught that no matter how hard they work, they simply will never be “good enough”.
As a woman, my experiences in the education system have been somewhat softened. However, I have still encountered many moments where my identity was minimized, with subtle implications that I was inferior. Some of the things past teachers have told me I still remember over a decade later. The process of making a racialized child feel inferior in the classroom starts as young as kindergarten, even daycare. For Black boys, this often manifests through harsher disciplinary measures like detention, expulsion, or even encounters with law enforcement called on by their teachers.