- 113 McNeil Building, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Natalie Young
University of Pennsylvania, Sociology, Department Member
- Sociology, China, Contemporary China, China studies, Social Stratification, Sociology of Education, and 7 moreEducation, Symbolic Boundaries, Symbolic boundaries and social boundaries, Discursive Construction of National Identity, National Identity, Race and Ethnicity, and Social Construction of Raceedit
International schools are commonly depicted in the academic literature and popular press as offering elite educational credentials to an elite, oftentimes international, student body. In this paper, I draw on a case study of a Canadian... more
International schools are commonly depicted in the academic literature and popular press as offering elite educational credentials to an elite, oftentimes international, student body. In this paper, I draw on a case study of a Canadian international school to argue that a new form of international school is emerging in China – one that offers a haven for domestic students from certain competitive and discriminatory features of the Chinese educational system. Fieldwork was conducted at a Canadian curriculum high school for Chinese citizens in Beijing. Most students at the school were internal migrants or children of China’s ‘new rich’ entrepreneurial class; that is, their families had economic resources but occupied precarious social positions in contemporary Chinese society. Analyses reveal that the international school offers a pathway to obtain baseline academic credentials in the absence of other opportunities for progress in the Chinese educational system. Together with evidence of dramatic growth in international schools and tracks in China, this case study suggests the emergence of a new type of international education programme that departs from a picture of international education as ‘elite’ in terms of student body, academic environment, and expected educational trajectories of graduates. The paper also develops our understanding of class and educational strategies in contemporary China.
Research Interests:
We explore how an ideologically diverse group of white students at Tulane University respond to evidence of racial inequality in post-Katrina New Orleans. In line with prior research, we find commonalities in racialized attitudes and... more
We explore how an ideologically diverse group of white students at Tulane University respond to evidence of racial inequality in post-Katrina New Orleans. In line with prior research, we find commonalities in racialized attitudes and behaviours between students whose racial ideologies otherwise differ. Drawing from anthropological theories of boundary construction and sociological work on colour-blind racism, we argue that the Otherization of non-whites is part of the everyday worldviews and social practices of white Americans. We draw on fieldwork in New Orleans to demonstrate that racist stereotypes and beliefs in racial difference continue to be transmitted within white social spaces. We find that even the most progressive Tulane students are engaged in the construction and reinforcement of symbolic and spatial boundaries between themselves and African Americans. This achieves the purpose for which racial stereotypes were originally constructed – namely, the persistence of racial inequality.
Research Interests:
Rates of childhood disability have been rising in the United States, particularly rates of neurodevelopmental disabilities. At the same time, the U.S. has become increasingly diverse: the proportion of residents who are first-or... more
Rates of childhood disability have been rising in the United States, particularly rates of neurodevelopmental disabilities. At the same time, the U.S. has become increasingly diverse: the proportion of residents who are first-or second-generation immigrants has expanded significantly in the last few decades, affecting the demographic composition of the country. While research indicates that immigrant children have health advantages over non-immigrants, including better birth outcomes, lower rates of obesity and asthma, and lower mortality, it is not known whether immigrant children are at lower risk of childhood disability, particularly in the context of rising rates. The current study draws on nationally representative data from the 2008-2019 American Community Survey to investigate whether an immigrant health advantage is observed in childhood disability, and whether this advantage varies by race/ethnicity. Results indicate that disability prevalence increased between 2008-2019 for both immigrant and non-immigrant groups, but that disability rates are significantly lower among immigrant children, relative to non-immigrant children. While this apparent "immigrant advantage" is observed across all racial and/or ethnic groups, it appears strongest for Hispanic children and children in the "other race" group. Notably, the difference between immigrant and non-immigrant children in the odds of having a disability is significantly larger for cognitive disabilities, compared to sensory/ambulatory disabilities. Given the challenges in diagnosing cognitive disabilities and culture-specific stigma toward this disability type, this last finding points to the possibility that the observed "immigrant advantage" in child disability may partially belie disparities in access to diagnosis and treatment of disability.
Research Interests:
As the population of the United States ages, there has been much focus on disability among older adults. Yet, childhood disability also warrants attention: the monetary and nonmonetary costs associated with caring for children with... more
As the population of the United States ages, there has been much focus on disability among older adults. Yet, childhood disability also warrants attention: the monetary and nonmonetary costs associated with caring for children with disabilities can be substantial, and studies suggest that disability rates among the nation's children have been rising since the early 1990s. This brief uses 1-year estimates from the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) to provide information about childhood disability in the United States. In addition to examining the prevalence of disability among children under the age of 18 in 2019, the brief assesses whether childhood disability differentially affected certain children and households within the United States in 2019. Finally, the brief draws on 1-year estimates from the 2008 ACS to compare childhood disability patterns in 2019 to patterns observed in 2008, when the current set of disability questions in the ACS was first introduced.