A Comparison of Factors Determining the Transition to Postsecondary Education Among Marginalized Youth in Toronto and Chicago

• In Event: 66.080 - Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: 66.080-2 - Equity and Accountability in a Major Metropolis: An Exploration of the Toronto District School Board

Abstract

We use data from Toronto and Chicago to examine the postsecondary pathways of youth from an “intersectionality” perspective, which understands life chances to be strongly tied to the intersections of gender, race, and class. We examine how the different combinations of gender, race, and class contribute to postsecondary transitions in both Chicago and Toronto, focusing on the similarities and differences in these factors between cities. Chicago and Toronto are both large urban centers with sizeable school boards (around 112, 000 students in high school in Chicago compared to 87,000 in Toronto’s public high schools). Both cities have considerable racial diversity. For example, public school populations in Chicago constitute 40% African American, 45% Hispanic, and 9% White. In Toronto, Whites make up the largest group (29%) followed by South Asians (24%), East Asians (15%) and Blacks (12%). Each city also has a significant proportion of immigrants: approximately 20% of Chicago residents are foreign-born compared to around 50% in Toronto. In both cities, race and income are also strongly linked. However, both cities have distinctly different histories, political landscapes, and education policies. Our analyses focus on the three major factors highlighted by intersectionality theory (race, class and gender) that determine life chances and explores how these factors differentially impact upon the post-secondary trajectories of youth in both cities.

These findings raise the question as to what sorts of interventions are possible to alter these existing situations that limit the life chances of young people. We argue that a one-size fits all policy approach is unlikely to be of use to addressing the inequities we observed in PSE confirmations and that rather, policy that recognizes the intersection of gender, race, and class as well as special education needs must be utilized. A workshop with TDSB, Ministry of Education, and HEQCO representatives raised various ideas about the components of successful policy, which must address the social/cultural capital of marginalized groups and come from “trusted” sources. We discuss findings from Chicago on the role of a college-going culture in increasing the likelihood of marginalized students enrolling in college.

Authors

• Karen Robson, York University

• Paul Anisef, York University

• Jenny K. Nagaoka, University of Chicago