The Inclusion Mirage: Inside the Segregation of an Urban High School

Abstract

Many urban public schools are often perceived as inclusive due to the demographics of their diverse student populations. This myth of inclusivity reifies notions of equity in both education and broader society. However, upon closer inspection, this myth of inclusion crumbles once immersed within an urban high school. In this article, I present the concept of the inclusion mirage. Through the utilization of critical ethnographic methods, I uncovered how schools that may appear diverse and integrated on the surface are vastly segregated for those that learn and work within their walls.