Race, rurality and representation: Black and minority ethnic mothers’ experiences of their children’s education in rural primary schools in England, UK

Research on rurality has focussed on an understanding of identities and school experiences in countries such as South Africa (Dunne 2008; Moletsane 2012), Australia (Bryant and Pini 2011), France (Reed-Danahay 1996), England (Bhopal and Myers 2011), China (Qiang et al. 2008) and the USA (Villenas 2001). The rural has been considered from different disciplines and perspectives such as Sociology (Garland and Chakraborti 2006; Neal 2002), Education (Balfour 2012; Bhopal and Myers 2011), Women’s Studies (Panelli and Little 2003), Anthropology (Geller and Stockett 2006) and Geography (Holloway et al. 2010).There is also a body of literature which has explored how identities are understood in rural populations (Neal 2002, 2009), particularly in relation to the position of Black and minority ethnic (BME) groups as ‘outsiders’ (Chakraborti and Garland 2004) and the repositioning of the rural as a multicultural and multi-ethnic space (Askins 2009). Research has also emphasised the neglect of the rural in policy-making (Bell and Jayne 2010) and its relevance to broader academic concerns (Woods 2009). In England (UK), images of rural locations are based on idyllic green open spaces associated with cleanliness, purity and an attachment to community. Such images are viewed in contrast to the city which is aggressive,

selfish and unwelcoming (Bhopal andMyers 2011). Far from being idyllic, the countryside is hostile to ‘outsiders’ and there is little sense of community, belonging and feelings of inclusion (Bhopal and Myers 2011). The countryside has also been identified as having high rates of poverty, illiteracy and crime (Burnett 2011; South West Rural Racism Project 2009). Research also suggests that an increase in the numbers of city dwellers purchasing property in the countryside is at the expense of excluding ‘locals’ out of the housing market (Independent 2007). The literature on rurality has explored discourses of diversity and multiplicity and how these intersect with race, class and gender in a predominantly White space. The focus has been on questioning how those positioned as ‘others’ are influenced by processes of inclusion, marginalisation and belonging. This article will explore the myth that the rural is an idyllic space with little or no conflict. It will attempt to disrupt the idyllic picture of the countryside to explore the role that gender, class and race play in the positioning of BME mothers as ‘outsiders’ in the White space of the school.