“Free yourself, sister!”: teacher identity, subjection, and the psyche

Abstract

Teachers are caught in a tug of war between what they are supposed to be and who they are trying to become. The teaching subject, striving to be recognisable, is socially constructed and discursively constituted through ongoing relations with power – an identity essentially determined in advance. What is it to live – to become, as teacher – in this space? It is in this theoretical context in which this research is situated; acknowledging the discursive construction of the teaching subject in order to consider who teachers are, who they are allowed to be, and who they are allowed to become. Drawing on an empirical example, I will explore the post-structural theories of subjection and psychoanalytic perspectives of the psyche in order to illustrate and conceptualise the struggle in being and becoming a teacher.

Keywords:

• post-structuralism
• psychoanalytic theory
• subjection
• teacher becoming
• teacher identity

Notes

1. This research project received ethics approval from the University of British Columbia, Office of Research Services (Behaviour Research Ethics Board # H08-02166).

2. All participants in this study provided informed consent and are referred to with pseudonyms.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Melanie D. Janzen

Melanie D. Janzen is a graduate of The University of British Columbia and is interested in research related to teacher identity, becoming, and responsibility.