Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Education and Inquiry in Seven Teacher Case Studies

452 Pages·2012·1.99 MB·English

by  Ali Michael

University of Pennsylvania
ScholarlyCommons
Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations
1-1-2012
Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Education and
Inquiry in Seven Teacher Case Studies
Ali Michael
University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at:http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations
Part of theAfrican American Studies Commons,Educational Sociology Commons,Social and
Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, and theTeacher Education and Professional
Development Commons
Recommended Citation
Michael, Ali, "Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Education and Inquiry in Seven Teacher Case Studies" (2012).Publicly Accessible
Penn Dissertations. 550.
http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/550
This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons.http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/550
For more information, please [email protected].
Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Education and Inquiry in Seven
Teacher Case Studies
Abstract
Race matters in schools. In addition to the highly publicized racialized achievement gap, race has historically
determined who can access education and what kind of education people receive. Additionally, teachers and
students bring racial identities to school that impact how they relate to one another, to the school community
and to the curriculum. Finally, schools are places where race gets constructed. This study uses qualitative and
action research methods to do researchwithteachers—rather thanonteachers—as they learn about how and
why race matters in education—and what that means for their classrooms. Because 85% of the K–12 teaching
force in the United States is White and middle–class (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010), this
research focuses on seven White and middle–class teachers. Through in–depth case studies of each teacher, I
explore the conflicts, questions and revelations that arise as they struggle to learn about race, and apply their
learning in their classrooms. My findings show, first, that teachers can have a multicultural curriculum and still
not have an anti–racist classroom. Race affects every aspect of what happens in classroom and thus can only
be addressed through a comprehensive approach that looks beyond curriculum. Second, the questions we ask
shape the answers we find. If we are not doing the necessary background work to be able to ask radical
questions, we are not going to get radical answers. Furthermore, teachers can only ask the questions they are
ready to ask, all of which is shaped by their racial identity developmental stage and their knowledge base. The
implication of this for inquiry work is that race–specific inquiries require outside input. Finally, teacher racial
identity matters. Having and maintaining an autonomous racial identity is the most powerful tool that
teachers can employ, and yet most teachers do not even realize that they have a racial identity, or that it can be
developed. White teachers are part of the problem of racial inequity in schools today and therefore can—in
fact, must—be part of the solution.
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Graduate Group
Education
First Advisor
Howard Stevenson
Keywords
Anti-Racism, Education, Practitioner Inquiry, Race, Teacher Education, Whiteness
Subject Categories
African American Studies | Educational Sociology | Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education |
Teacher Education and Professional Development
This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons:http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/550
This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons:http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/550
RAISING RACE QUESTIONS: WHITENESS, EDUCATION AND INQUIRY
IN SEVEN TEACHER CASE STUDIES
Ali Michael
A DISSERTATION
in
Education
Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania
in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
2012

Supervisor of Dissertation:
________________________________
Howard Stevenson, Associate Professor of Education

Graduate Group Chair:
________________________________
Stanton Wortham, Professor of Education

Dissertation Committee:
Howard Stevenson, Associate Professor of Education
Katherine Schultz, Professor of Education
Shaun Harper, Associate Professor of Education
RAISING RACE QUESTIONS: WHITENESS, EDUCATION AND INQUIRY IN
SEVEN TEACHER CASE STUDIES
COPYRIGHT
2012
Ali Michael
To my partner, Michael, with whom I share the joy and work of building a feminist
family, an anti-racist community and an anti-oppressive lifestyle.
To my parents, Bonnie and Terry Michael, who have patiently taught me how to talk
about race with White people.
To the seven White case study teachers in this study, who opened their lives, their
classrooms and themselves to contribute to the lessons learned here.

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ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
With every word in this dissertation, I am reminded of the knowledge, empathy
and wisdom with which my mentors have taught me about race. I think of all those
people now, and the myriad different lessons they have taught me.
I think of my parents, who taught me to be proactive, inclusive, independent,
vocal and loving. When I came home from college sharing all of my new knowledge
about race, they listened. When I told my Dad I thought his viewpoint was racist, he
quietly and humbly helped me learn that calling somebody racist does not change his
mind, and that the line between racist and anti-racist is very thin indeed. They taught me
that anti-racist development happens over the long term, that affirmation and information
are more effective than competition and shame and that White people are capable of
learning and changing.
I think of Gertrude Sgwentu—Makhulu—my second mother and my best friend.
I think of Tetile, Evelyn, Thania and Sipho. Gertrude and her family shared their life in
South Africa with me, helping me learn the ways that the personal is political and the
political is personal. Gertrude guided me through the complex process of relationship
building across racial and class disparities. She taught me the critical importance of
teaching White people to examine our unconscious biases. Evelyn, Thania and Sipho
helped me remember why race and class matter so much in schools.
I think of Carolyn Michael, Michael Ramberg, Aaron Boyle and Eleonora Bartoli,
with whom I spent four years in a White affinity group learning about race. The lessons
that I learned from that group have shaped every thought that went into this dissertation.
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And the foundation of allyship and friendship that we formed during that time has helped
me feel supported and challenged to maintain my ideals in every aspect of my life.
I think of Chonika Coleman-King, with whom I worked very closely during the
year I collected data. Many of the ideas that take root in this dissertation were planted by
Chonika in the parking lot after meetings, as we continued to discuss racial dynamics
well after our colleagues had moved on to other things.
I think of Dr. Howard Stevenson, who made it possible to think and talk about
race in graduate school in ways that matter and lead to real change. Thank you for
inviting me onto your research team, where I learned so many of the tools that I used to
do this research and write this dissertation. I think, too, of all of the members of that
team: Dr. Duane Thomas, Dr. Valerie Adams, Dr. Keisha Bentley, Dr. Chonika
Coleman-King, Gwen Miller, Celine Thompson and Zehua Li. Thank you for including
me, for trusting me and teaching me.
I think of Dr. Kathy Schultz, who never blinked an eye when I said I wanted to
focus my doctoral work on Whiteness. Thank you for your thoughtful, thorough, critical
feedback and your constant support. Your ideas contributed immeasurably to this
dissertation and to all that came before it.
I think of Dr. Shaun Harper, who introduced me to Critical Race Theory and who
constantly innovates new possibilities for anti-racism in higher education. Thank you for
taking the time to help me design a dissertation that would have long-term applicability.
I think of Dr. Lesley Bartlett, who taught me how to be a good person, a feminist,
a mother and a friend while being a researcher, an academic and a teacher.
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I think of Mathu Subramanian—my writing buddy and friend. Thank you for
always being willing to share your thoughts and ideas about race—and for constantly
reminding me to go beyond Black and White.
I think of all of the members of White Students Confronting Racism at Penn: Dr.
Sue Bickerstaff, Mary Conger, Sarah Burgess, Luke Reinke, Kathleen Riley and many
more. Thank you for holding the space at GSE for White people to grow, learn and act in
anti-racist community.
I think of Sarah Halley and Molly McClure, who taught me how to work with
other White people, and who taught me to see myself in every White person I meet. I
think of Lorraine Marino and Antje Mattheus, who taught us all how to help White
people learn. Everything you have taught me is in this dissertation.
And I think of my college professors: Dr. Kim Springer, Dr. Kenda Mutongi, Dr.
Steve Gerrard and Dr. Grant Farred, who gave me new lenses with which to view this
racialized world.
Thank you to all of my beloved editors: Matt Atwood, Keisha Bentley, Sue
Bickerstaff, Aaron Boyle, Mary Conger, Pat Fox, Heidi Hausman, Bob Michael, Carolyn
Michael, Bonnie Michael, Terry Michael, Erica Ramberg, Frances Ramberg, Mary
Ramberg and Michael Ramberg.
Thank you to my family—Mom, Dad, Carolyn, Aaron, Mike, Bob, Heidi, Lindsay
and Jason—for building a network of love and support so large and so robust that I live
my life with the sense that anything is possible.
Thank you to Michael and Tina, for reminding me daily why it matters so much
that all human beings have the opportunity to be their best selves.
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This dissertation was made possible in part by funding from the RUTH LANDES
MEMORIAL RESEARCH FUND, a program of The Reed Foundation.

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