Beyond Perceived Exclusion: A Theory of Internalized Social Exclusion in Schools

The newly recognized phenomenon of Internalized Social Exclusion (ISE) is changing the understanding of the educational mission with regard to social education. Responding to a lack of a clear conceptual framework, I juxtapose ISE with factual and even perceived social exclusion to establish its distinct theoretical boundaries. Corresponding to the three dimensions of ISE – self-perception, contextual-cognitive, and integrative – I describe how the phenomenon manifests in socially excluding emotions, namely embarrassment, insecurity, and otherness. I further examine how these theoretical lenses alter the understanding of learning motivation of marginalized students and consider the possible educational responses to this shifted understanding. Suggested strategies to counter ISE include (1) curricular immersion, (2) cognitive-emotional restructuring, and (3) volitional and strategic empowerment. Finally, I envision the methodologies for future empirical validation of the proposed conceptual framework.