Race And Culture In The Classroom: A Qualitative Study

Words: 4535
Pages: 19

ABSTRACT

MATTERS OF THE HEART:
UNDERSTANDING RACIAL INTERPRETATIONS & CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS

by Monica L. Marks-Richardson

This book is a qualitative study on the influence of race and culture in the instructional planning within classrooms in a suburban school district. The study was designed using a focus group of teachers in grades 4-8 who demonstrated successful growth for African American students using growth measures on state assessments. The focus group members met to answer pre-determined research questions that tied to exploring the role of race and culture in the classroom. The group met regularly over a period of time and conducted discussions centered around activities
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The framework she uses examines the domain of power from four perspectives – structural, disciplinary, interpersonal and cultural. Structural domain of power is racial practices through social institutions that exist and provide services to the public such as schools, hospitals and governmental agencies. The disciplinary domain of power represents the rules and regulations that uphold or challenge the racial hierarchy. The interpersonal domain of power involves one to one race relations between individuals that occur through personal choice. Cultural domain of power is the idea of race as defined or interpreted by ideologies that create a community of colorblindness. It exists when a community sees issues of race as a thing of the past or as nonessential and not a current issue. Examining the influence of power using Collins’ framework is essential to understand the barriers and challenges that preclude educators from recognizing the limitations of practices that reinforce negative racial interpretations and cultural perceptions. Schools in this position need to examine the racial and cultural barriers preventing academic and social progress. Barriers include resistance to change, systems of oppression, and a sense of privilege and entitlement (Lindsey et al., 2003). The lack of a culturally responsive staff impacts the challenges of educating a diverse population of students. It is important to examine culturally responsive pedagogical practices in place to meet the growing needs African American