The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the construction of otherness in public discourse and, in particular, the construction of refugee children in the official documents of various Associations of Parents and Guardians that opposed to the integration of refugee children in the Greek educational system. This research examines the way in which refugee children are constructed through an argumentation with evaluative character which places them hierarchically as inferior.
The study employs discourse analysis and, in particular, Discursive Psychology and shed light on three interpretive repertoires regarding the construction of refugee children: refugee children as a health threat, as a threat to culture and education, and as a pretext for conspiracy theories. The argument of Associations of Parents and Guardians, which adopts elements of neo-racist discourse, is further strengthened through the use of fact construction devices. Refugee children are presented as an out-group, completely “different” on multiple levels. The discourse of Associations of Parents and Guardians presents strong contradictions, with the position of the refugee children, but also of the parents/guardians themselves, constantly changing, depending, each time, on the respective argumentation.