Afro-descendants, education and communication: Perception of racist and sexist behaviors in Dominican Republic schools

Abstract

This research focuses on verbal communication and racist discrimination in educational centers in the Dominican Republic, taking the perspective of the victims. Thus the main objective is to expose the perception of the habitual use of verbal, communicative and structural violence, with a racist and misogyny component in schools. The methodology used consisted of the application of a survey of 10 questions, carried out to 200 people of Dominican Afro-descendants, from different ages. The results show the existence of prejudices and stereotypes based on racism, xenophobia and misogyny. Thus, even though all of the people surveyed are Afro-descendants only about 40% self-perceive themselves as such. Moreover, while 87 per cent of people claim to have seen racist attitudes in schools, about 45 per cent acknowledge having suffered some racist comment and insult, and only 63% confirm the existence of the oral and written rule that girls and adolescents cannot bring natural afro hair in the center. In spite of the above, and given that 71% of respondents were women, only 22% consider that women suffer more discrimination in schools.