T HE G REENLANDIC EDUCATIONAL EXPEDITION TO D ENMARK - Cultural capitals and struggles for incoming students

A GENDA : Introduction Theoretical Methodology Analysis Conclusion Perspectives and reflections Discussion

MOTIVATION Political changes Educational level Global issues

GREENLANDIC EDUCATION Student’s possibilities in Greenland Level of education Place of education

E DUCATION D EVELOPMENT :

Cardinal question: How do Greenlandic students perceive the experience of studying in a post-secondary institution in Denmark, and how are Greenlandic students perceived by the institution? Why Bourdieu?

Why making semi structured interviews? QUALITATIVE REASERCH Interviewees own value of capitals and powers struggles. Interview guide Defined knowledge + personal history telling, Positions and experiences. Questionnaire blocked answers. Methodology

 Objective structures  Different perspectives and  Positions

MEANING CONDENSATION SCHEME… WHY AND HOW ? A tool focus and structure to the analysis. Overview over our interpretation of the data. Discover new and implicit ways of understanding. Methodology

MEANING CONDESATION Methodology ThemeQuotationCodification Fear not to be good enough "At man får lidt et chok når man kommer her ned. Når man finder ud af hvor stor forskel der er, både kulturelt og fagligt, det er et helt andet niveau, så jeg var virkelig nervøs og rigtig rigtig bange. “ Worries about academic underachievement Group work and projects”Det er ikke lige mig. Og jeg har ikke tænkt mig at læse kandidaten på RUC, men det fint nok.” Do not feel at ease with the project work as a studying method. Most difficult barrier to overcome ”Det med at arbejde i studiegrupper, manglede jeg lidt.” Lack of experience with the group work as a study method.

GROUP WORK

Why consider Greenlandic students as international, foreign students?

S CHEMES OF PERCEPTION, CONSTRUCTED OVER TIME (Bourdieu 1989:91) and (Bourdieu and Wacquant, 2001:86) Theory AgentStructure

UNDERSTANDING THE LINK participation in the educational systems often leads to an increase in symbolic power through the accumulation of capital over time. Habitus is therefore understood as the amount and distribution of capitals in a specific field and thus an expression of the agents’ possibilities of success. (Bourdieu and Wacquant, 2001: 86)

SYMBOLIC POWER – STUGGLES IN THE FIELD. Cultural CapitalSocial capitalStruggles Born in Nuuk, raised in Sisimiut Her farther is living in Denmark Has troubles adjusting to the academic level Danish farther and Greenlandic mother Mother and siblings is living in Greenland Group work Has received teaching in Danish Has been on vacation in Denmark regularly The period before starting her courses, was affected by administrative difficulties Have been studying one year in Brazil as exchange student Lives with a friend in her uncle’s apartment Difficulties getting heard in the class room.

STRUGGLING IN THE SOCIAL FIELD Cognition & Recognition of the capital as such. (Bourdieu 1989: 22).

F IELD Structures Counsellors Susanne hvidtfelt Descriptive material Macro Drawing positions (struggles)

A GENTS Capitals – From habitus Capitals – in play

E XAMPLES ”Ja, altså mine medstuderende i Danmark, det er sådan nogen jeg ikke kender, jeg har aldrig set dem før og der er ingen forbindelse til dem overhoved, udover at vi er på samme studie.” ”Jeg har faktisk slet ikke været til noget som helst, jeg har ikke engang snakket med nogle studievejledere eller Avalak, jeg vidste slet ikke hvad Avalak var”

S OCIAL S PACE Positions Symbolic Power Struggles

C ONCLUSION Perceive it as challenging Perceived as danish students Tradition Structures Barriers Suppport (Re)production Capital and habitus

R EFLECTIONS AND PERSPECTIVES Easier in other countries, not same symbolic violence Lingua franca Internationazation New Public Management

Discussion