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ERIC Number: ED665744
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 206
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-7282-3656-6
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Towards Anti-Racism as Stance: White Women Teachers Committing to Transformation
Rosemary Wrenn
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Fresno
America's teaching force does not represent the children in its classrooms. The majority of public-school teachers are white women, while the majority of their students are not. The system within which U.S. educators operate is infused with racist procedures and curriculum presented through a white, western, Eurocentric, patriarchal lens that erases or obscures the contributions of people who hold other identities. Teachers themselves have been socialized to be colorblind and to perpetuate biases harming the students they are meant to serve. In this qualitative study, I explored ways to better train and support white women teachers to create more culturally sustaining learning spaces. I combined liberatory praxis and critical theories including post-constructivist feminist, Black feminist, and critical race theories. Beginning with autoethnographic vignettes, followed by focus group and semi-structured interview data, I approached this study using inquiry as stance, a methodological paradigm of practitioner research. Using critical discourse analysis, I generated themes including acknowledging white privilege, "Doing DEI," deprofessionalization of teaching, and addressing structures that perpetuate obstacles for students. I present this study in narrative form both to provide full context and to serve as a transformative act. Findings indicated that white women teachers did not feel prepared or supported navigating issues of race in the classroom and school. Significant causes were deprofessionalization of teaching and limits on teacher discretion. My analysis led to the grounded theory of Anti-racism as stance. I define this as teachers moving past intellectual understandings of race and privilege to the embodiment of anti-racism as the source of decisions and actions to dismantle structures that are obstacles to socially just and racially equitable learning opportunities. Primary implications of this work include a call to trust teachers to use discretion in choosing classroom materials and professional development topics. School districts and training programs should dedicate space, time, and resources for critical conversations. Implications for further study include exploring ways teachers who hold other identities navigate race in their daily decisions. Anti-racism as stance also has applications to other fields such as inclusive science communication, Early Childhood Education, and Human Development. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A