Developing capital and a sense of belonging among newly arrived migrants and refugees in Australian schools: a review of literature ( El desarrollo de capital y del sentido de pertenencia entre los migrantes y refugiados recién llegados en las escuelas australianas: una revisión de la literatura )

Abstract

Australian schools have positioned themselves as places where young people are able to develop cultural and social capital as well as develop their sense of belonging. By exploring Australia’s federal and state policies, this paper provides insight into the educational structures which shape migrant and refugee youths’ educational experiences. This paper draws from Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field and capital to theorize school belonging and interrogate the existing Australian literature to provide further insight into how Australian schools create spaces for newly arrived young people to belong. In particular, this review of literature explores how social actors within the field of education, such as school leaders, educators and peers, provide support and create inclusive environments for newly arrived migrant and refugee children in New Arrival Programmes and mainstream schools alike. This paper argues that schools, and teachers more specifically, must disrupt their current ways of thinking and doing to provide inclusive learning environments which build cultural and social capital and create a sense of belonging for newly arrived migrant and refugee youths.