DISSERTATION: “I CAN’T JUST LET THOSE THINGS STAND”: HOW SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS MAKE SENSE OF POLITICAL DISCLOSURE, CLASSROOM SAFETY, AND CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN CONTENTIOUS TIMES
ABSTRACT
While discussions of controversial social and political issues are described as vital to a quality school-based democratic civic education, teachers may find it difficult to broach divisive partisan issues, especially during times of increasing political polarization and contentiousness like the United States in the Trump era. It is often taken for granted that when leading controversial issue discussions, teachers should create an open classroom climate and should enact a neutral political stance. In this dissertation, I studied the limitations of these traditional approaches to discussions in contexts of sociopolitical hostility.
This study follows up on Rogers et al.’s (2017) nationwide study of teaching and learning in the Trump era. I draw on qualitative semi-structured interviews that were conducted with social studies teachers in diverse communities across the United States in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Drawing on theories and frameworks of teacher political disclosure (Kelly, 1986), pedagogy of political trauma (Sondel et al., 2018), and sympathetic touch (Du Bois, 1935), I explored how U.S. public high school social studies teachers made sense of their experiences leading discussions in this time of contentious and polarized national politics.
Findings from this dissertation speak to the conditions and priorities of teachers in controversial issue discussions. First, I describe how teachers experienced and understood the contentiousness and sociopolitical hostility of the national political climate as it played out in their classrooms. Second, I examine how teachers prioritized competing goals related to classroom climate; specifically, as teachers described wanting to build classrooms that were safe for their students, I explore what they understood a safe environment to be, and whose safety they prioritized. Finally, I look at how teachers thought about disclosing their personal political beliefs and opinions in the classroom.
This research offers insights into how teachers conceptualize their roles in discussions of controversial issues with young people, including the complexity and contextual nature of these seemingly straightforward pedagogical decisions, and the need for teachers to take proactive, empathetic steps to provide support and protection to young people from marginalized groups in order to challenge intolerance under the guise of academic discourse.
DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To me, the people who supported me and who I’ve brought along with me in my life are just as important as any research I conduct. So I’m including my dedication and acknowledgements here as well as information about the research itself.
To my mom, my husband, and my son
To my kids from BMA
To Choge, I hope every day that I can make you proud.
In memory of
Torian Hughes and Victor McElhaney
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery
I am endlessly grateful to the many, many people who have always provided me with support, inspiration, and guidance. I have too few opportunities to articulate this gratitude in public, and will gladly share my heartfelt thanks with you here. I am thankful to each of you, and give you credit for the work in these pages.
First, to my family. Nate and Owen, my love for you is as big as the Milky Way. Nate, I would never have applied to this Ph.D. program without your encouragement, to say nothing of completing it. Your endless support through all my writer’s block and imposter syndrome has made all the difference. Thank you for your unflagging faith in me, even when I’m difficult. You’re simply the best, better than all the rest. Owen, this dissertation is one part of my effort to create a better world for you, one where schools are grounded in justice and equity, and are worthy of their students. Someday, you’ll blow us all away. I love making you laugh more than anything. You are my light and my joy and I love you with everything I am. Mom, thank you for being the absolute best. I love you. Thank you for teaching me to love and value learning and justice. Everything I am is because of you, and I am eternally grateful. Thank you for staying with us when Owen was born and for being a sounding board when I just needed to work through my ideas. My love and gratitude to my whole family.
Thank you to my remarkable committee. To my co-chairs, Tyrone and John: words fall far short of the immense gratitude I feel for you both. My work and I are both better for having had you two titans in my corner, and I have loved working alongside you. Tyrone, you’ve been family to me for a long time already, and being your student as well has been truly special. John, you have been incredibly generous with your time, feedback, funding, and insights, and I have learned so much from you. I cannot thank you enough for opening your study to me and encouraging me to run with it. Megan, thank you for your kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, and fierce support of me as a parent. Joe, thank you for encouraging me, pushing my ideas, and consistently asking questions that shake my assumptions.
To Karen Hunter Quartz, I have learned so much from you. Thank you for bringing me to Mann and giving me the chance to do work that was meaningful and fun. I am grateful for your high expectations, support, and friendship. I will be a substantially better researcher, teacher, and mentor because of the model you set. To faculty with whom I have had the opportunity to work and learn at UCLA: Mike Rose, Tina Christie, Bill Sandoval, Annamarie Francois, Emma Hipolito, and Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, thank you for your generosity, encouragement, humanity, and kindness. Thank you to Harmeet Singh and Amy Gershon in Student Services.
Wherever I go, I will always, always have my BMA community in my heart. Berkley Maynard Academy in Oakland is where I became a teacher and where a piece of my heart will always reside. To my kids, I cannot possibly thank you enough. No matter how long since you were in my class, you’ll always have a teacher and friend in me. You made me into a better teacher and person, and I hope you know how deeply I love you and always will. Thank you to the families of my kids for entrusting me with your children and for pushing me to be better. Thank you to my colleagues and friends. Torian, I’ll carry you with me always. Rest in power.
Without question, my work and career exist because of the University of Washington College of Education community that helped raise me. Thank you to my fictive family from 206 Miller Hall. Ed Taylor, I don’t have words for my gratitude. You’ve been a father figure to me for decades, and I hope you know just how much I value your counsel and friendship. Kipchoge Kirkland, I love and miss you every day. Thank you for your unbounded confidence in me and for consistently showing up for me when you didn’t have to. You taught me that my ideas were valuable and that I mattered. I will never forget your joy, love, hugs, encouragement, friendship, and desire to keep the food on your plate from touching. You left big shoes behind; I try to carry on your legacy. You could have done so much more if you’d only had time. Hamba kahle, Chog.
To my best friends, Jessica and Krystel: I don’t know how I have been so lucky to have you both in my life. Thank you for being my sisters and for your steadfast friendship. Thank you to Jamie for, well, everything. I appreciate you, our friendship, and family dinners. Thank you to Alison for a friendship grounded in educational equity, GSAE, and athleisure. Thank you to my friends for supporting me and cheering me on.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the many people and things that have comforted, inspired, and supported me throughout my Ph.D. program and the writing of this dissertation: Hobbes the dog, coffee, Pure Barre Beverly Hills, UCLA’s Counseling and Psychological Services, Maria Chavez Family Daycare, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Daniel Tiger, Alexis Rose, Chidi Anagonye, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, my writing leggings, the Highwomen, folklore by Taylor Swift, Hezekiah Walker, the no man’s land scene in Wonder Woman, the leap of faith scene in Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, seeing the original Broadway cast perform Hamilton live, Calm sleep stories, Top Chef, The Great British Baking Show (with Mel and Sue), His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, Jesmyn Ward, Why is This Happening?, NPR Code Switch, cookies, ice cream, popcorn, the 2018 Academic Mamas Facebook group, and Taking Cara Babies for teaching me to teach Owen how to sleep.
I do NOT acknowledge the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic of 2020. You have not helped me.
