Abstract

Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia. The dichotomy between equality & difference is a central issue in both feminist & education debates. Georgina Tsolidis examines this dichotomy with particular reference to gender, ethnicity & schooling & argues that in the context of reformist education policies targeting gender equity & the affirmation of cultural difference, the schooling experiences of ethnic minority girls provide insights into ways of challenging this dichotomy. School-based case studies are provided as a means of challenging the predominant view, reiterated through education policies, that these girls are victims of a culture clash which establishes a 'minority as backward, majority as enlightened' binary. Feminist theorizations of difference are used as a means of interpreting the contradictions between the representations of ethnic minority girls in education policies & the vision of them which emerges through the case-studies. This then provides the basis for a speculative exploration of the equality & difference dichotomy in relation to transformative curriculum & pedagogy. Contents: Introduction - Feminist theorizations of cultural difference - Theorizing cultural difference in relation to Australian feminism - The construction of ethnic minority girls in education policy literature - Case studies: a girl's reputation - Case studies: academic aspirations & experiences - Conclusion - References - Index.