The relationship with difference has accompanied the history of humanity and remains an unresolved issue, taking diverse forms across societies and historical periods. As difference concerns society as a whole, it inevitably re-emerges within schools, those “special environments,” as described by Dewey (2008), entrusted with the responsibility of guiding new generations and shaping their access to knowledge, society, and the world. Schools, however, often replicate societal inequities, particularly in relation to minoritized students. Deficit thinking has historically provided the theoretical foundation for compensatory and assimilationist approaches directed at students from diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds and their families. This perspective frames students as less capable, interpreting their educational trajectories primarily in terms of what they lack relative to dominant curricular standards. Even today, students from minoritized groups, particularly those positioned at the intersection of migration, low socio-economic status, and racialization, continue to face persistent difficulties in education, which are frequently interpreted through the lens of deficit thinking. This contribution offers a theoretical explanation for the persistence of deficit thinking by drawing on Aníbal Quijano’s concept of the coloniality of knowledge (1992). A traditional literature review engages with decolonial theory, Epistemologies of the South, critical race theory, critical Chicana feminist thought, perspectivism, and works by Afro-descendant Italian women authors. The analysis reveals recurring patterns of epistemic reduction, confirming the hypothesis. Teacher agency is highlighted as a central strategy for working within the “cracks” of the educational system to counter epistemic injustice, challenge deficit perspectives, and promote transformative, decolonial educational practices.

Authors:
Paola Dusi, University of Verona, Italy

About the Presenter(s)
Prof. Paola Dusi, Full Professor of Education at the University of Verona (Italy), focuses on coloniality of knowledge and adolescent educational needs and strengths in a techno-anthropological and vulnerable world.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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