Vulnerability, Trust And The Accompaniment Of Educational Development In Nicaragua

364 Pages·2016·3.15 MB·English

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Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations
2016
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Matthew James Tarditi
University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations
Part of the Education Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Latin American
Studies Commons, and the Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons
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Tarditi, Matthew James, "Vulnerability, Trust and the Accompaniment of Educational Development in
Nicaragua" (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2051.
https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2051
This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2051
For more information, please contact [email protected].
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Asymmetrical power relations, imposition and hierarchy characterize much of the field of development.
Design and decisions are often dominated by the few as programs determine what is best for the local
communities they seek to assist (Cooke & Kothari, 2001). The multiply wounded nation of Nicaragua is no
exception to the norm, and the country has a long history of outside intervention by non-governmental
and governmental organizations seeking to distribute materials or empower communities. Originally
founded through a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education
and a Nicaragua Corporate Social Responsibility Division, the Digital Seeds Program strives to push
against the common impositional and assistencialist approaches to development through a collaborative,
relational and holistic approach. Relational trust and authentic dialogue are centerpieces of what the
Program calls accompaniment, or the direct, personalized support of educational actors inside and
outside the classroom, and it is within these interpersonal encounters that Digital Seeds' facilitators join
teachers in their daily lives.
Informed by over six years of participant-observation and insider-outsider evaluation of the Program from
its inception in 2009, this participatory action research project seeks to understand how participants
make meaning of Digital Seeds as they understand the nature and role of trust and dialogue in thee
iterative construction of the Program. It is my contention that a core group of emotionally intelligent and
professionally gifted staff embody this deeply relational and dialogic accompaniment model, and their
example serves to show the possibilities of reciprocal vulnerability and mutual trust in cultivating
respectful partnerships.
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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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John L. Jackson
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Education | Latin American Languages and Societies | Latin American Studies | Organizational Behavior
and Theory
This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2051
VULNERABILITY, TRUST AND THE ACCOMPANIMENT OF
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NICARAGUA

Matthew James Tarditi
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
2016

Supervisor of Dissertation:

_______________________________________
John L. Jackson, Jr., Richard Perry University Professor

Graduate Group Chairperson:

______________________________________
J. Matthew Hartley, Professor of Education

Dissertation Committee:

John L. Jackson, Jr., Richard Perry University Professor
Sharon M. Ravitch, Senior Lecturer
Stanton E.F. Wortham, Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor of Education
VULNERABILITY, TRUST AND THE ACCOMPANIMENT OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
IN NICARAGUA

COPYRIGHT

2016

Matthew James Tarditi

This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
License

To view a copy of this license, visit
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
iii
DEDICATION

This dissertation is dedicated to my friends and colleagues in Nicaragua, whose
generosity of spirit, commitment and dedication have inspired me and moved me to do
more with and for them and who have made this dissertation possible; to my parents for
their unwavering support throughout my life; to my partner, friend and wife, Meredith,
whose patience, love and support have given me strength to keep going and to see this
through to the end; and to my daughter, Sarah Lynn, whose arrival came at a time when
I needed perspective and a healthy distraction to help me during the final push.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Looking back on the long and winding road of a doctoral program, full of
countless twists and turns, ups and downs, anxiety, fear, joy and elation, I am forever
grateful to the many people who have accompanied me on this journey. To my friends,
family, colleagues, mentors and fellow travelers, I offer the following words as a
humbling attempt to express my immense gratitude and to recognize you for the love,
support, camaraderie and fellowship.
The University of Pennsylvania has been my home for over seven years, and I
have shared this wonderful home with my extended Penn family, a cast of characters
that have become my brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and fathers and mothers. First, to
Dr. Sharon Ravitch, my mentor, colleague, friend and adopted sister, whose infinite
passion and compassion model the type of person and scholar I aspire to be. Dr.
Ravitch's shining example of a critical, ethical and respectful approach to participatory
action research and international development work profoundly shapes my way of
being in the world. Our collective efforts in Nicaragua and shared teaching experiences
have been great sources of learning, growth and personal fulfillment, and I am eternally
indebted to Sharon for always believing in me and treating me as her colleague. Thank
you, Sharon, for first seeing something special in me as a Masters student and then
offering patient and empowering mentorship throughout my time here at Penn. To Dr.
John Jackson for his sincerity, humility and humanity. Starting with the Ethnographic
Film class and continuing with the formation and development of camra, Dr. Jackson has
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fundamentally altered my personal, professional and academic trajectories and
sensibilities. John has constantly inspired me to dream big and I thank him for his
unwavering support, perpetual optimism and sensitive mentorship. To Dr. Stanton E.F.
Wortham for his pedagogical and intellectual wisdom, and for his critical insightfulness.
I appreciate his fairness and frankness, and I thank him for always advocating for camra
and for supporting me as an individual. To Amit Das, my dear friend and partner in
media-making/teaching. I admire his moral center, intense passion, artistic flare and
dedication to teaching. I thank him for mentoring me on how to be a filmmaker and
teacher of film, and for his unconditional advocacy and support. To Dr. Laura Perna for
giving me the confidence and guidance to pursue an Ivy League degree in the first place.
Without her generous counsel I would not be where I am today. To NancyLee Bergy for
showing me deep respect and care, for providing me with incredible wisdom and for
helping me understand how to facilitate professional development for teachers. To Dr.
Andrew Lamas for showing me the power and possibilities of critical pedagogy, for his
boundless support of students, and for inspiring me to think critically and creatively.
Also, thank you to the many professors at Graduate School of Education and beyond:
Dr. Mike Nakkula, Dr. Michael Johanek, Dr. Peter Kuriloff, Dr. Nancy Hornberger, Dr.
Janine Remillard, Dr. Yasmin Kafai, Dr. Frances Barg, Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath, Dr. Kathy Hall
and Dr. Betsy Rymes who have provided direction and encouragement during the many
challenges and joys faced throughout the Masters and Doctoral programs.
vi
To Michael Baker for sharing his wealth of experience and for imparting
thoughtful guidance, particularly related to my work in Nicaragua. To the amazing,
friendly staff at PennGSE for filling my days with smiles, laughter and positive energy.
To Ron Greene and Terrence Newby for their individual and collective generosity. To
Kamal and Zach, thank you for always being there to help, and for doing so with a
gentile smile. To Jasma, thank you for your making my entrance and exit to GSE full of
positivity and warmth. Lastly, to Joyce Cook and Pat Friess, thank you for your abundant
patience and generosity. I would not have made it through the doctoral program
without you two.
I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to the many colleagues at Penn. They
are my family and community, and we will forever be linked. To my 1st-year doctoral
cohort, thank you for ushering in an unforgettable journey and for making the next six
years so memorable. To Dr. Scott Cody, Dr. Eric Yoak and Dr. Mustafa Abdul-Jabbar,
your friendship and fraternity have brought me endless joy, laughter, pause and love,
and I thank you three for being such caring, kind and brilliant individuals. You are my
brothers. To Dr. Leya Mathew and Dr. Kathy Rho, thank you for sharing your warmth,
gentility and selflessness. You have both made me a better person. To Dr. Arjun
Shankar for your brilliance, humility, creativity and lightheartedness. It has been an
honor to create and dream with you. I look forward to many more years of friendship
and dreaming. To Dr. E. Gabriel Dattatreyan for your wise counsel and supportive
friendship. The years have been fuller and brighter thanks to your presence. To Dr.
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Jamey Rorison for his energy, friendship and authenticity. Your company, generosity
and motivation were fundamental contributors to seeing this degree through to its
completion. To Catherine McManus for her incisiveness, thoughtfulness and practical
support. You have become a dear friend and colleague, and I am forever indebted to
you for helping me through from the proposal to the final defense. To Jabari Zuberi for
his artistic sensibility, professional integrity and overall way of being. It has been a true
joy working with you and becoming your friend. I also wish to thank my dear friends
and partners at Penn: Dr. Mariam Durrani, Sofia Chaparro, Paul McCormick and Andy
Danilchick, who were there to give me strength and confidence when I needed it most
and with whom I shared many smiles, laughs and memorable moments over the past six
years. Lastly, I would also like to thank my friends and colleagues at camra: Veena
Vasudevan, Kate Zambon, Deb Lui, Sandra Ristovska, Joanna Seigel, Hunter Snyder, Nora
Gross, Tali Ziv, Dr. Roseann Liu, Aurea Winpenny and Andrew Hudson among others. It
has been a tremendous honor to have worked with you all in the construction of a truly
interdisciplinary and multimodal collaborative and I am excited for future endeavors.
Para mis amigos, colegas y seres queridos de Nicaragua, mi vida ha cambiado
profundamente gracias a tu participación en ella. Agradezco a la familia Baltodano por
su generosidad, apoyo y compañerismo a lo largo de siete años. A Duilio, Indiana,
Ernesto, Adriana y Eduardo. Gracias por aceptarme como uno más. Somos parte de la
misma familia y no tengo palabras suficientes para describir el impacto que han tenido
sobre mi y el amor que tengo para ustedes. A José Antonio Baltodano, gracias por
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siempre tener fe en mi. Agradezco al Equipo de Semillas para el Progreso y Semillas
Digitales: Nayibe, Martha Alicia, Rosa, Marielos, Maria Luisa, Baltazar, Joel, Silvio, Elba,
Tania, Wildor, Marisol, Alejandra, Vittoria, Rafael, Wilfredo y Claudia entre otros. Ellos
son mis colegas, amigos y miembros de mi familia. Gracias por su cariño, sabiduría,
generosidad y paciencia. Gracias a Grupo Mercon y Grupo CISA (CISA Exportadora y
CISA Agro) por apoyar mi trabajo a lo largo de 7 años magníficos y de mucho
crecimiento tanto personal como profesional. También quiero agradecer a mis amigos y
colegas de la Finca Buenos Aires: Marco, Ismael, Neón, Denis, Martin, Juan, Rubén,
Ivan, Carasco, Leech y Chico entre otros, quienes me cuidaron durante mi año viviendo
en las montañas de Nicaragua. Debo una gratitud tremenda a Doña Dorotea y su familia
por cuidarme como un miembro más de su familia. Doña Tea siempre será mi madre
nicaragüense y su familia es mi familia. También, quiero agradecer a la gente de la
Escuela Buenos Aires y la comunidad la Virgen Número Uno: Eveling, Jorling, Junieth,
Arelys, Karla, Don Cayetano y Doña Reina, Doña Isabel, Doña Rosa y Don Gonzalo, Doña
Cristina y Don Marlon y mis ex-alumnos entre otras personas queridas. Agradezco a
Kevin Marinacci, su esposa Manely y su hijo Nico por tratarme como otro integrante
más de su familia, el gringo barbudo quien siempre invade a su casa de vez en cuando.
Para Kevin quien le tengo tanto respeto, admiración y amor. Gracias también a Fabretto
y todo su personal amable. A Cesar DuBois, gracias por ser mi guía, amigo y socio, es
siempre un placer compartir momentos laborales o personales contigo. A Kenneth
Urbina por ser anfitrión durante varias visitas mías y por ser un amigo de la vida. En