Situating the discourses of privilege and marginalization in the lives of two East Asian women teachers of English

Abstract

Using a narrative approach (i.e., Clandinin and Connelly 2000; Dewey 1938 [1963]), this article explores the identity constructions and negotiations of two East Asian women teachers of English in MATESOL programs. The focus of this article explores the ways in which the two women’s privileged experiences coexisted with issues of marginalization once they entered English speaking contexts. The work of Kumashiro and Bourdieu provides the theoretical foundation for exploring the discourses of privilege and marginalization that are weaved into the lives of the EAWTCs. Using the women’s narrative accounts collected during 2004–2005 AY, the core of the analyses focuses exclusively on the different forms of marginalization these women negotiate in reconstructing their identity within English/Turkish as second language spaces (both study abroad and graduate programs) and the ways in which Bourdieu’s forms of capital play out in the intersection of privilege and marginalization. I conclude with discussions around these intersections focusing on: (1) two faces of college entrance examinations; (2) language and race; and (3) capital, habitus, and identity in the graduate programs.

Keywords:

• privilege and marginalization
• East Asian women teacher candidates
• language and race
• capital
• habitus
• identity

Acknowledgements

I am deeply grateful to my dissertation partners, to the editors and anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback and to my critical colleagues, Ryuko Kubota and Hayat Messekher for their encouragement, support, and critical insights in the earlier drafts.

Notes

1. 1/6/2005 indicates January 6th, 2005.

2. As an undergraduate, Han Nah majored in Turkish language and literature and minored in English language and literature. As a graduate (MA in Korea), Han Nah majored in Turkish language and Islamic Studies, which later took her to Turkey to pursue her PhD.

3. Kachru categorizes countries around the world in relation to how English functions. Inner Circle (IC) countries depict the countries where English is the dominant and main language (e.g., UK, US, Canada, etc.); The Outer Circle countries depict the countries where as a result of past colonialism of these countries by ICs, English has been used as a second or additional language in the educational contexts (e.g., Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, India, etc.); and Expanding Circle (EC) countries are the ones where English is a foreign language and a subject matter in academy (e.g., Korea, China, Japan, etc.).