False promises and distinct minority mobility paths: Trajectories and costs of the education-driven social mobility of racialised ethnic groups

Abstract

This Special Issue (SI) enquires into the trajectories and consequences of education-driven social mobility among members of racialised and minoritised ethnic groups in a variety of geographical settings. It explores commonalities in the socalled distinctive minority mobility path that are typical for many racialised minorities in different social contexts – from Asia through post-socialist Eastern European countries to Western Europe and North America. Through analyses of the personal experiences of (potential) social advancement via education, the authors of this SI explore what schooling and educational mobility involves for those who belong to discriminated against and minoritised groups. What costs, both hidden and more apparent, does their education-driven mobility impose on them? Is education indeed a vehicle for social mobility for them? Finally, what are the social implications of their ‘individual success at the cost of collective failure’ (Reay 2018)?