School as a site of Tibetan ethnic identity construction in India? Results from a content analysis of textbooks and Delphi study of teachers' perceptions

The role of the school in multiethnic societies is a central issue in the sociology of education. The discipline's focus on multiculturalism in education has been investigated through the examination of the production of knowledge in terms of the curriculum as a tool for articulating information, as well as the reproduction of knowledge in terms of teachers' communication of that information. This study extends the field by investigating the ways in which ethnicity is represented in India's public school curricula and conceptualized by Indian and Tibetan public school teachers. Findings suggest curriculum supports the national ethos of the majority, and teachers play a significant role in shaping students' understanding of the ethnicity in and for the minority.