Structural Violence, Educational Marginalisation, and the Psychology of Resistance Among Almajiri Youth in North West Nigeria

This study examines structural violence, educational marginalisation, and the psychological dynamics of resistance and agency among Almajiri youth in North West Nigeria, making an original theoretical and empirical contribution to the critical educational psychology of deeply marginalised populations. The Almajiri system, in which young boys leave their homes for Quranic education, has been associated with poverty, social exclusion, and limited formal educational participation, yet the psychological dimensions of this experience, including how Almajiri youth construct their educational identities, resist marginalisation, and navigate structural barriers, have received minimal empirical attention. The study employs a critical ethnographic methodology over eighteen months in Kano, Sokoto, and Kaduna States, complemented by psychological profiling using adapted instruments for the Almajiri context, including the Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Resistance Behaviour Scale, and the Educational Identity Measure. Longitudinal narrative interviews with 50 Almajiri youth, six community leaders, and twelve formal school teachers constitute the primary qualitative data source. Thematic network analysis, critical discourse analysis, and psychological profile clustering are applied. Results reveal a typology of four psychological stances towards marginalisation: submissive accommodation, pragmatic navigation, active resistance, and strategic integration of Quranic and formal educational aspirations. The strategic integration group demonstrates the highest psychological well-being and educational aspiration scores. These findings challenge pathologising discourses and affirm the psychological agency of Almajiri youth. Policy recommendations address structural reform of the Almajiri education system with dignity-centred approaches. Keywords: structural violence, Almajiri, educational marginalisation, resistance, North West Nigeria.