ABSTRACT
Summary: A minority group can be so designated only within a society of which it is a part. Implicit, therefore, in most discussions of such groups is the idea of comparative status. In this sense, the term minority may or may not refer to numerical size; it virtually always, however, includes the issue of relative dominance/subordination. Minority concerns typically involve both ethnicity and social class variables. In many cases, ethnic group membership and low socioeconomic status coincide, thus justifying discussion of both under the general rubric of educational and social disadvantage. The linguistic and psychological aspects of this disadvantage are many and varied, but all derive from comparisons drawn between the minority group and others; often these comparisons proceed from the assumption of the correctness of the norms and standards of the larger or more dominant group, and thus tend to reflect poorly on those of the minority.
The aim of this chapter is to explore aspects of minority-majority contact, with special regard to the dynamics of the comparison process. Since we are concerned here most direcdy with education, this means giving attention to such things as people's desires and aspirations, the presence or absence of home/school discontinuity, etc. Linguistically, or sociolinguistically, one should consider views of standard and non-standard speech and language and how these may affect (especially) children's comprehension and production of language in the school. Only after attending to such matters can one begin to consider how best to reduce the friction so often apparent in minority education.
