Critical race self-study: an abolitionist methodology

ABSTRACT

Taking an oppositional approach to the whiteness of teacher education research, I challenge critiques of self-study in teacher education as insufficient for the fundamental transformation of teacher education. Drawing from critical race theory, I posit that the stories and self-studies of Black, Indigenous, and other teacher educators of Colour are key to dismantling the white supremacy ingrained in teacher education. Race has palpable consequences for teacher education, and I posit that if teacher education research continues to sidestep and ignore race and racism, the field will continue to condone the harmful status quo of whiteness. Critically examining the need to move beyond research that naturalises whiteness in teacher education, I consider how “passing” and “trespassing” – the long-established positionings rendered possible to Black, Indigenous, and other teacher education researchers of Colour – are hindering the pursuit of racial justice. Seeking to expand the possible positionings of Black, Indigenous, and other teacher education researchers of Colour theoretically and methodologically, I propose critical race self-study as an abolitionist methodology with the potential to foster much-needed transformation for and through teacher education research.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical race self-study
• abolitionist methodology
• teacher education research
• transformation
• racism
• critical race theory
• whiteness
• white supremacy
• storytelling
• self-study in teacher education

Notes

1. Self-study is a methodology that attends to the teacher educator “self in action, usually within educational contexts” (Hamilton, Smith, & Worthington, 2008, p. 17). Some may understand self-study as autoethnography; these are blurred methodologies with well-established overlaps. While both focus on the self, self-study’s focus is on improving practice and autoethnography’s is on cultural contexts.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mariana Souto-Manning

Mariana Souto-Manning is the 5th President of Erikson Institute in Chicago. She holds the Irving and Neison Harris President’s Chair at Erikson. Souto-Manning has served as Professor of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and held academic appointments at the University of Iceland and King’s College London. Committed to the pursuit of justice in early childhood teaching and teacher education, Souto-Manning’s research (re)centers methodologies and pedagogies on the lives, values, and experiences of intersectionally-minoritized people of Color. As she problematizes issues of colonization, assimilation, and oppression in schooling and society, Souto-Manning critically examines theoretical and methodological issues and dilemmas of doing research with communities of Color, considering questions such as “critical for whom?” and “according to whom?” Souto-Manning (co-)authored ten books, dozens of book chapters, and over 80 peer-reviewed articles. She has received a number of research awards, including the American Educational Research Association Division K Innovations in Research on Diversity in Teacher Education Award. Follow her on Twitter at @SoutoManning.