Work

Race and Racialization in Nordic Elementary Education: A Literature Review Analysis With a Focus on Denmark (2010–2023)

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT This article examines the evolving discourse on race and racialization in Nordic elementary education research from 2010 to 2023. Over the past two decades, race has emerged as a critical analytical category in Nordic scholarship, reflected in a growing body of studies and academic conferences. The article first presents a quantitative overview of publication trends across Nordic countries, highlighting an increase in studies addressing racialization, racism, and educational inequality. It then provides a qualitative analysis of Danish studies, which have explored racializing practices, structures, discourses and racialized experiences. However, recent scholarship signals a shift towards race‐critical studies, legitimizing race as an analytical framework and moving research beyond documenting racialization to examining responses and resistance. This shift challenges Nordic colorblind ideologies, reinforcing race as a key analytical category and fostering a deeper understanding of structural inequalities in Nordic welfare‐state schooling.

Source: Sociology Compass

DOI: 10.1111/soc4.70049

Authors: Asta Smedegaard Nielsen, Jin Hui Li, Mante Vertelyte

Institution: Aalborg University

Language: English

Topic: Critical Race Theory in Education

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,350