Toward A New Educational Framework of Critical Race Theory

Transcription

1 Presented at the ASHE Annual Conference Louisville, Kentucky November 9, 2008 Toward A New Educational Framework of Critical Race Theory By John Michael Lee, Jr., Doctoral Candidate New York University & The College Board

2 Introduction Critical Race Theory (CRT) extends from Law and Legal Studies. CRT is an emergent tool in the field of education. CRT has not yet realized its full potential (DeCuir & Dixson, 2004) CRT has found many critics who dismiss the findings of studies that use the framework. (Darder & Torres, 2004)

3 Purpose It is the purpose of this scholarly paper to extend the uses of CRT in the field of education. It is further the purpose to increase the interdisciplinary methods used by Critical Race Theorists. This paper is a meta-analysis of the use of CRT in the field of Education.

4 Guiding Questions The Guiding Questions are: What are the Central Tenets of Critical Race Theory? How is CRT Currently Used by Scholars in Education? How can CRT be expanded to further enrich research in education? How can CRT be used by scholars in the future?

5 Central Tenets of CRT The Centrality of Race and Racism in Society CRT asserts that Racism is a permanent component of American life The Challenge to Dominant Ideology CRT challenges the claims of neutrality, objectivity, colorblindness, and meritocracy in society The Centrality of Experiential Knowledge Critical Race Theory asserts that the experiential knowledge of people of color is appropriate, legitimate, and an integral part to analyzing and understanding racial inequality

6 Central Tenets of CRT (Continued) The Interdisciplinary Perspective CRT challenges ahistoricism and the unidisciplinary focuses of most analyses and insists that race and racism be placed in both a contemporary and historical context using interdisciplinary methods The Commitment to Social Justice CRT is a framework that is committed to a social justice agenda to eliminate all forms of subordination of people

7 Current Uses of CRT

8 Current Uses of CRT Scholar (s) Year Use G. Ladson-Billings and W. F. Tate 1995 D. Solorzano 1998 G. Ladson-Billings 1999 M. Lynn 1999 Laid Foundation for CRT in Education. Used as analytic tool for understanding school inequity. Used CRT to address racial microaggressions and campus racial climate. Examines the curriculum, instruction, assessment, school funding and desegregation using CRT as a lens. Explores connection between research and theories of African-Americans with CRT.

9 Current Uses of CRT Scholar (s) Year Use D. Solorzano; M. Ceja; T. Yosso D. Solorzano; D. Delgado Bernal D. Solorzano; O. Villalpando; L. Oseguera Used CRT to address racial microaggressions and campus racial climate. CRT used as framework to examine student resistance through story telling and other qualitative methods. CRT used as framework to analyze the educational inequities and barriers for Latino(a) college students. Teranishi 2002 CRT used to examine the racial climate for Asian Pacific Americans

10 Findings Scholars who used CRT from added to the uses of this framework in education. Scholars used CRT to account for the role of race and racism in U.S. Higher Education. Scholars commonly used methods of storytelling to show the permanence of race.

11 Findings A few Scholars use CRT as an undeniable fact Scholars usually cite all central tenets, but do not provide support for each of the central tenets.

12 Toward a New Educational Framework of CRT TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS CRT Core Principles Components of CRT What To Look For 1. The Centrality of Race and Racism in Society Race and racism are a defining characterist ic of American Society Race and Racism i. Macro and Micro Components. ii. Takes on Institutional and individual forms. iii. Has conscious and iv. unconscious elements Has a cumulative impact on both the individual and group Disparate Impact Microaggressions

13 Toward a New Educational Framework of CRT TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS (CONTINUED) CRT Core Principles 2. The Challenge to Dominant Ideology Components of CRT Reveals how these claims serve as a cover for self interest, power, and privilege of dominant groups in American Society What To Look For Interest Convergence Disparate Impact

14 Toward a New Educational Framework of CRT TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS (CONTINUED) CRT Core Principles 3. The Centrality of Experiential Knowledge Components of CRT Asserts that the experiential knowledge of people of color is appropriate, legitimate, and an integral part to analyzing and understanding racial inequality What To Look For Deficit Thinking Cultural Deficit Models Genetic Determinist Models Whiteness

15 Toward a New Educational Framework of CRT TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS (CONTINUED) CRT Core Principles 4. The Interdisciplinar y Perspective Components of CRT Challenges ahistoricism and the unidisciplinary focuses of most analyses and insists that race and racism be placed in both a contemporary and historical context using interdisciplinary methods What To Look For Lack of historical analysis Lack of interdisciplinary perspectives

16 Toward a New Educational Framework of CRT TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS (CONTINUED) CRT Core Principles 5. The Commitmen t to Social Justice Components of CRT CRT is a framework that is committed to a social justice agenda to eliminate all forms of subordination of people What To Look For Lack of Social Justice Interest Convergence

17 Toward a New Educational Framework of CRT The chart shows how researchers in education can begin to think about what to look for as we use Critical Race Theory as an analysis tool. This gives a uniform process to inquire if the principles of CRT are indeed present in the literature, case study, or other environments being studied.

18 Implications for the Future CRT will be used as a tool of analysis in education that will be able to assert and support each of the central tenants of CRT in a study. This will help lead toward the standardization of CRT to ensure the quality and richness of the research that is presented using this framework.

19 Implications for the Future This will also lead toward the quantization of the components of CRT, so that this framework can be quantitatively be applied to studies to show the numerical impact that race and racism have on people of color. Creation of new interdisciplinary methods applied to the field of education

20 Toward A New Educational Framework of Critical Race Theory THE END!!! By John Michael Lee, Jr., Doctoral Candidate New York University Presented at the ASHE Annual Conference Louisville, Kentucky November 9, 2008