Pedagogies of performative care and school belonging: lessons from an Australian school

Abstract

With schools coming under pressure to perform and produce outcomes, the caring practices of the institution have been increasingly framed around issues of achievement, excellence and outcomes. In this article, we examine how the performativity-driven practices of care impact on the possibilities of social inclusion for marginalised students. Drawing on case study data from two 14-year-old students in a government secondary school located in a low socio-economic suburb of Melbourne, Australia, we argue that the performative ethic of care fails to cater for the more complex needs of these students. Lacking the qualities of ‘good student’ as independent and successful learners, these students are positioned and treated differently in their schools, leading to their weak sense of belonging to the institution. We maintain that a plural social justice framework focusing on the politics of redistribution and recognition can provide the basis of a socially just education for marginalised students.

Keywords:

• Belonging
• ethic of care
• exclusion
• marginalisation
• performativity
• social justice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage provides a numerical scale that represents the relative magnitude of factors in students’ background, such as their parents’ occupation or education level, and school-related factors, such as geographical location, as they affect educational outcomes measured in terms of NAPLAN results.

2. The ATAR is calculated based on students’ academic achievement in Year 12 and is a criterion used for entry into undergraduate university programmes in Australia.