Narratives of Social Justice Educators: Standing Firm

111 Pages·2014·1.02 MB·English

by  Shirley Mthethwa-Sommers (auth.)

SPRINGER BRIEFS IN EDUCATION
Shirley Mthethwa-Sommers
Narratives of
Social Justice
Educators
Standing Firm
123
SpringerBriefs in Education
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/8914
Shirley Mthethwa-Sommers
Narratives of Social Justice
Educators
Standing Firm
1 3
Shirley Mthethwa-Sommers
Nazareth College
Rochester, NY
USA
ISSN 2211-1921 ISSN 2211-193X (electronic)
ISBN 978-3-319-08430-5 ISBN 978-3-319-08431-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-08431-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014945113
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
© The Author(s) 2014
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Acknowledgments
IsiZulu says “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu,” which means, “I am because we
are; I am a human being because of other human beings.” I am the author of this
book because people around me made it possible. This book would not exist if
it were not for other people who supported me. So first and foremost, I would
like to extend my gratitude to the participants in this study, namely Beverly
Daniel Tatum, Sonia Nieto, Kevin Kumashiro, Valerie Ooka Pang, Gaille Canella,
Christine Sleeter, Teresita Aguilar, Julie Andrzejewski, Norma Bailey, Kent
Koppelman, and Cathy Pohan. I am forever indebted to them for having faith in
my goal to document why people teach for social justice. All of the participants
are the crème de la crème in the field of social justice education but they did not
hesitate to participate in the study conducted by an aspiring social justice educa-
tor. They understood the importance of ‘researching up’ as a way of balancing
the gaze in research and how documenting reasons for teaching for social justice
might inspire others to do the same.
Second, I would like to thank Drs. Renee Martin, Lynne Hamer, and Helen
Cooks from the University of Toledo for encouraging me to be fearless in under-
taking this study. Third and lastly, I would like to thank my family for always
understanding and sharing the joys and challenges of engaging in social justice
education.
v
Contents
1 Introduction ................................................ 1
References .................................................. 5
2 What Is Social Justice Education? .............................. 7
2.1 Social Transmission Theory ................................ 7
2.1.1 Functionalism ..................................... 8
2.1.2 Structural Functionalism ............................ 9
2.2 Social Justice Education Theories ........................... 9
2.2.1 Critical Theory .................................... 10
2.2.2 Critical Theory Classrooms .......................... 12
2.2.3 Multicultural Education Theory ....................... 15
2.2.4 Postmodern Theory ................................ 19
2.2.5 Post-structural Theory .............................. 20
2.2.6 Lessons for Teacher Education ........................ 22
2.3 Reflection Questions ..................................... 23
References .................................................. 23
3 Social Justice Educators ...................................... 27
3.1 Social Justice Educators ................................... 27
3.2 Reflection Questions ..................................... 32
Reference ................................................... 32
4 Personal Influences .......................................... 33
4.1 Family Influence ......................................... 34
4.2 Peer Influence ........................................... 39
4.3 Lessons for Teacher Education .............................. 42
4.4 Reflection Questions ..................................... 43
References .................................................. 44
vii
viii Contents
5 Positionality Influences ...................................... 45
5.1 Lessons for Teacher Education ........................... 54
5.2 Reflection Questions ................................... 55
References ................................................. 56
6 Influences from the Field .................................... 57
6.1 Lessons for Teacher Education ........................... 68
6.2 Reflection Questions ................................... 70
References ................................................. 71
7 Global, Social, and Historical Influences ....................... 73
7.1 Lessons for Teacher Education ........................... 78
7.2 Reflection Questions ................................... 80
References ................................................. 81
8 The Role of Spirituality and Religion .......................... 83
8.1 Lessons for Teacher Education ........................... 87
8.2 Reflection Questions ................................... 89
References ................................................. 89
9 Fluidity of Perspective ...................................... 91
9.1 Lessons for Teacher Education ........................... 96
9.2 Reflection Questions ................................... 97
References ................................................. 97
10 Conclusion: Standing Firm and an Invitation to Social
Justice Education .......................................... 99
10.1 Lessons for Teacher Education ........................... 103
10.2 An Invitation to Social Justice Education ................... 105
References ................................................. 106
Chapter 1
Introduction
Abstract This chapter responds to the questions: Why do we a need a book on the
narratives social justice educators? How can the book serve to propel the agenda
of social justice education when the field of education has been overtaken by a
capitalist agenda? The chapter lists the social justice educators who participated
in the study namely Beverly Daniel Tatum, Sonia Nieto, Kevin Kumashiro, Valerie
Ooka Pang, Gaille Canella, Christine Sleeter, Teresita Aguilar, Julie Andrzejewski,
Norma Bailey, Kent Koppelman, and Cathy Pohan and reasons they were selected.
Keywords Narrative method · Narratives · Social justice educators · Life histories ·
Education
Standing Firm: Narratives of Social Justice Educators draws from a larger study of
social justice educators. The book responds to the overarching question: what pro-
pels scholars to educate for social justice education? Standing Firm examines the life
histories of social justice educators in order to ascertain personal and professional
experiences that explicate their involvement in social justice education. Participants’
selection was based on their published works and activism which unveil and seek
to transform oppressive policies and practices, particularly in the efi ld of education.
Eleven eminent social justice educators participated in the study: Beverly Daniel
Tatum, Sonia Nieto, Kevin Kumashiro, Valerie Ooka Pang, Gaille Canella, Christine
Sleeter, Teresita Aguilar, Julie Andrzejewski, Norma Bailey, Kent Koppelman, and
Cathy Pohan. Interviews and document analyses of biographical works, both pub-
lished and unpublished, were used as data collection sources.
The book explores personal and professional experiences that shaped the edu-
cators’ choice to engage in social justice education. Personal experiences include
familial and social experiences, whereas professional experiences include educa-
tional and work experiences. It is salient to unveil such experiences because “in
the power of our own voices telling our own stories, our inclinations to freedom
are achieved” (Pagano 1990, p. 2). By discussing their experiences, educators
reflected on what that inform and shape their practice.
© The Author(s) 2014 1
S. Mthethwa-Sommers, Narratives of Social Justice Educators,
SpringerBriefs in Education, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-08431-2_1
2 1 Introduction
Standing Firm is of utmost importance today in a local and global context
driven by capitalism, wherein corporation profits and accruement of capital takes
precedence over attainment of social justice and human rights. Many people
believe social justice to be passé, especially those who argue that the 20th cen-
tury was a century that made the U.S. society more equitable. Some point to the
20th century legislation which led to suffrage rights for White women, desegre-
gation of schools, the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights
Act of 1965, and the Affirmative Action Act of 1965 as achievements toward
social justice. However, upon closer examination what looks like grand improve-
ments of the twentieth century does not appear to be impressive in terms of
achieving equity. Admittedly, the U.S. has come a long way from the times of
state-sanctioned oppression through Jim Crow and anti-women laws. However,
in the twenty-first century, people of color are still disproportionately repre-
sented among the poor. Unemployment rates are higher for African-Americans
at 14 % and Latino Americans at almost 10 % compared to White Americans at
6.3 % (Austin 2013). African American and Latino American children are over
two times as likely to live in poverty as are their White counterparts. Affirmative
action, particularly in higher education, is “hanging in the balance” (Orfield 2013,
p. 179) and its relevance is being challenged. For example, cases such as Grutter v.
Bollinger (2007) and Fisher v. University of Texas (2011) have challenged affirm-
ative action admission policies in higher education but students of color remain
underrepresented in higher education institutions. Attempts to racially integrate
k-12 schools have also been challenged in cities like Seattle as shown by the
Parents Involved (2007) case against busing students in order to achieve racial
desegregation. This millennium is seeing re-segregation of schools, and its con-
comitant inequities, at alarming rates (Fasching-Varner 2012).
The picture of women’s advancements and equality is also somewhat illusion-
ary. Admittedly twentieth century legislation such as Title IX, and Civil Rights Act
engendered tremendous changes in the lives of all women inside and outside of
schools; however, while the majority of women work outside their homes, they
still earn only 80 % of the wages earned by males, and Asian-American and
Latino-American women earn even less (Knowledge Center 2013). Inundated
with what McLaren (1995) called postmodern literacy, knowledge about women’s
equality gleaned from the media, e.g. television, magazines, and internet, sex- and
gender-based inequities have become normalized because of a pervasive belief that
equity between the sexes was achieved in the 1920s. Current inequities in compen-
sation, leadership roles, and devaluing of women’s work are attributed to women’s
inability to apply themselves and be assertive in the workplace (Sandberg 2013).
The victim blaming discourse is also used to rationalize why women of all colors
remain the majority of the poor. What is missing from the discourse and postmod-
ern literacies is how institutions, such as schools, contribute to the subordination
of women and people of color in general. Also missing from the discourse is the
need for social justice, social justice education in particular, to ensure that the
inroads made in the 20th century are sustained and the society is constantly mov-
ing toward the democratic ideal of social justice.