Race, Ethnicity, and Culture: Critical Qualitative Understandings of Urban Education

3 units

This course examines educational institutions as spaces where children are asked to comply to the norms, expectations, and values of the culture of power. We will study how forces -- such as de facto segregation, the disproportionate hyper-disciplining of students, punitive school climates, and the devaluing of certain forms of cultural and social capital -- can contribute to cycles of social reproduction among the marginalized. To address such challenges, this course introduces sociocultural theories and critical qualitative inquiry methods as mechanisms by which urban educational institutions can be positively transformed. Specifically, restorative practices, cogenerative dialogues, and participatory/co-researcher models are explored as methods that honor the voices of marginalized stakeholders and lead to catalytic, transformational impact. Leaving this course, students will have an understanding of the inequitable terrain of urban education institutions as well as a repertoire of theories and methods to assist with the conducting of critically grounded, culturally responsive, humane, and transformative research. In addition to lectures, readings, discussions, films, and actual classroom footage, students will conduct a school experience project to practice using the theories and methods introduced in this course.