Small Acts of Resistance: Factors Underlying Youth Coping with Stereotype Threat in Schools
Keywords:
Stereotype threat, youth coping strategies, small acts of resistance, identity negotiation, South Africa, resilience, educationAbstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the coping mechanisms and everyday acts of resistance employed by South African adolescents in response to stereotype threat within school contexts.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews with 26 secondary school students aged 15–19 from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds in South Africa. Participants were recruited purposively to ensure direct experience with stereotype threat in educational settings. Interviews, each lasting 45–60 minutes, were conducted until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using NVivo 14 software, with coding conducted in iterative stages of open, axial, and selective coding. Rigor was enhanced through independent coding, reflexive memoing, and maintaining an audit trail.
Findings: Analysis revealed four main themes: identity negotiation, resistance in everyday practices, coping with emotional impact, and negotiating power in school spaces. Under identity negotiation, youth reclaimed cultural pride, countered negative labels, and affirmed self-worth. Everyday resistance included humor, strategic silence, academic persistence, peer support, and symbolic acts. Emotional coping involved both adaptive strategies such as journaling, sports, and spirituality, as well as maladaptive responses like social withdrawal. Finally, participants described negotiating power by challenging authority, assuming leadership roles, invoking policy awareness, and creating safe spaces with allies. These findings illustrate that adolescents’ responses to stereotype threat are multifaceted, ranging from subtle acts of defiance to collective strategies of resilience.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that South African youth are not passive in the face of stereotype threat but actively resist and reframe their experiences through diverse coping mechanisms. These small acts of resistance preserve identity, foster belonging, and create pathways for empowerment in restrictive school environments. Recognizing and supporting these strategies has critical implications for educators, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to reduce the harmful effects of stereotypes in education.
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