The Netherlands : from diversity celebration to a colorblind approach

This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in the Netherlands on the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality between 1980 and 2017. Six major research traditions are identified: (1) political arithmetic; (2) racism and ethnic discrimination; (3) school characteristics; (4) school choice; (5) family background and (6) an institutional approach, with research on ‘family background’ and ‘political arithmetic’ being the most dominant research traditions. Most of the research conducted in the Netherlands focuses on explaining ‘underachievement’ in relationship to ‘Turkish’, ‘Moroccan’ and ‘Surinamese’ minority students and is characterized by the use of quantitative research methods and a more positivistic approach to social sciences. This rich body of research is written mainly in Dutch and developed in a context characterized by a close collaborative relationship between educational sociologists and the government in conducting research in this area and a shift in policy that emphasises assimilation over multiculturalism