Challenging Education Norms: Towards Social Justice
The fight for social justice in the education system is imperative as flawed norms hinder progress. Recognizing gender norms in teaching, addressing racial inequalities, and navigating COVID-19 disruptions are key areas of focus. By breaking down entrenched norms, empowering students, and advocating for change, we can create a more equitable educational landscape for all.
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RISING UP AGAINST THE NORMS: THE FIGHT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM GRACE HARKINS ADVISOR: PROF. JEFF FRANK
INTRODUCTION The education system in the US is quite flawed. It can work against students, teachers, and even parents, rather than working with them to create more opportunities, greater equality, and broaden knowledge. Many of these flaws are instilled into the system through the norms of education and the norms of teaching. Given the power of norms, we feel powerless to change a system that is not working for too many students. But this system must change. Schools and teachers must address difficult political issues with their students, so students feel respected, listened to, and empowered to change a system that harms them. My summer research focuses on gender norms in teaching, the norms of teaching (or not teaching) about race and racism, college life without norms during COVID-19, and the norms of teaching about leadership and who makes a good leader.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The power of norms is nearly inescapable, but the first step into breaking down these norms is to begin talking about them. The norms that lead to injustices and inequalities have only become more apparent with the rapid spread of COVID-19. More low income, often marginalized, students are receiving less than adequate education during COVID-19 distanced learning, and this issue is not a priority of the current administration. My work this summer highlighted these current problems that COVID-19 lays bare while connecting them to histories of injustice and unfair educational policies and practices.
PROJECT 1: FEMALE GENDER NORMS OF TEACHING COVID-19 has undoubtedly given parents forced to homeschool their children a deeper appreciation for the challenges of education, if the many parents praising teachers selfless and heroes is any indication. While calling teachers selfless sounds like praise, this language is inherently gendered and does not paint the whole picture of the demands of the work of educating.
PROJECT 1: FEMALE GENDER NORMS OF TEACHING History of Teaching: Why do women dominate the teaching field of work? Women began to dominate the field starting in the 1800s, when attending public school became the right of every student in America and the need for teachers surged. Men in political power at the time, therefore, considered it a waste of taxpayers money to pay a man full wage to teach, when they could pay women much less for what they considered easy work. This automatically gendered teaching and lessened the prestige for the profession, which is still a common understanding today.
PROJECT 1: FEMALE GENDER NORMS OF TEACHING The Reality of Teaching: It is a difficult pursuit In terms of early childhood education in particular, research suggests that a child s brain development from birth to age five is integral to the long-term development of the individual. Beyond elementary and early childhood education, the upper grades further develop student s social, emotional, and academic skills seeing that brain development can drastically grow and change into an individual s early 20s. Teachers see the most success from their students when they provide stable, supporting, and trusting relationships. They act as role models for those who are trying to figure out who they are in the world and their own identities.
PROJECT 1: FEMALE GENDER NORMS OF TEACHING The Reality of Teaching: It is a difficult and underpaid pursuit Early childhood educators still barely make minimum wage in most states, while high school teachers make just about $15,000 more annually. This leads to the cycle of low pay = low prestige In the United States, we frequently correlate an individual s pay grade and class status to the prestige of their work. Once we value teachers as much as we value our doctors, their wages will rise and the prestige of their work will follow (or vice versa).
PROJECT 1: FEMALE GENDER NORMS OF TEACHING What can we do to create a new cycle of higher prestige = higher wages? If we begin to speak about educators with professional language by describing them as intelligent, strong, and hardworking we can urge policy makers to pay teachers like we pay other professional fields. Teachers who feel valued and respected will want to continue teaching and will love their job more, reducing turnover, which would naturally lead to better teaching because some improvements can only come from years of practice. Can this help in other areas? Yes. A sense of respect that spans across the population of parents, students, and policymakers would also encourage an increase in pay and education funding. Not just wage increases, but also student-centered reforms like funding for school projects, school counselors, language professionals, subjects like the arts and music, and sports teams.
CHECK OUT MY PUBLISHED ARTICLE HERE: WILL COVID -19 FINALLY CHANGE OUR SEXIST UNDERVALUING OF EDUC ATORS? HTTPS:// WOMENSMEDIACENTER.COM /F BOMB /WILL -COVID -19-FINALLY- CHANGE -OUR-SEXIST-UNDERVALUING - OF-EDUCATORS
PROJECT 2: BREAKING GENDER NORMS OF TEACHING BY WELCOMING MEN INTO THE CLASSROOM Right now, without many men in the classroom, young boys have few male role models in their lives until they get to the workplace. This leaves young boys looking up to only a select number of male role models in their lives, which leaves them vulnerable to the norms of the patriarchy and toxic masculinity. For centuries they have created norms that can be harmful both physically and emotionally to cis-gendered men and boys. A few of the norms that form into our society s idea of masculinity include self-reliance as a symbol of strength, aggression instead of communication, cavalier attitudes towards sex, and the need to conceal emotion. Men are being put in a box that is too confining, and by including feminist men into the teaching profession, young boys will learn to break down these norms before they can cement into their daily understanding of how to live life.
PROJECT 2: BREAKING GENDER NORMS OF TEACHING BY WELCOMING MEN INTO THE CLASSROOM Learning the Norms of Emotion Young boys feel pain, they feel love, they feel curiosity, and they feel excitement and passion. Young boys wouldn t feel so alone if they aren t told that they can t show these emotions. Kids are learning even when they are not in school, they are watching their parents, their siblings, even bugs and animals and they start to copy attitudes and actions they see. At this early stage in a young life, many children are also learning societal norms, gender roles, a personal understanding of identity, and acceptable actions. Power of a Father s Influence Starting at birth, little boys are watching their fathers and learning definitions of masculinity and how they should act and speak as boys. They depend on their fathers to teach them how to properly treat the women in their lives, how to treat minorities, how to care and love, and how to respond and to communicate. But this one person is not enough. Boys need more male teachers in their lives to learn what norms to live by and what norms they should resist.
PROJECT 2: BREAKING GENDER NORMS OF TEACHING BY WELCOMING MEN INTO THE CLASSROOM Learning the Norms of Masculinity Should be More Common in the Classroom Right now, young boys do not look around the classroom and see nurturing caring male role models that they can connect with as often as girls can with female teachers. This sense of connection is vital to growing children s identities, but this sense of connection cannot happen with young boys when only 3% of early childhood teachers are men. If they have the opportunity to connect with more supportive male figures, only positive effects can follow. Seeing an emotionally alive, loving, caring male teacher who still embodies a well-rounded definition of masculinity can encourage the rethinking of gender roles and what it means to be a man. Overall, It is much easier to learn positive tendencies than it is to break old habits and rethink norms that have been ingrained for years. This will become possible by including feminist men, who can act as positive role models, into the classroom environment.
WHY WE NEED MORE FEMINIST MEN TEACHING CHECK OUT MY PUBLISHED ARTICLE HERE: HTTPS:// GOOD MENPROJECT.C OM/FEATURED - CONTENT/WHY- WE-NEED - MORE - FEMINIST-MEN- TEACHING - LBKR /
PROJECT 3: RACE IN EDUCATION Currently we are witnessing one of the most widespread racial justice fights our nation has ever seen. Students will return in the fall, and they will have a new sense of the world around them, along with many questions. They will want to talk about the events of the Black Lives Movement, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the killings of hundreds before them. They will have questions about racism and how to be anti-racist. This summer, they are watching this country s every move closely and are becoming curious about the deep-rooted systemic issues that disproportionately disadvantage members of the Black community. If schools do not make this culture shift along with the rest of the nation, students will not sit idly by. K-12 schools cannot be apolitical anymore: they must begin to welcome thoughtful and genuine discussion about race and racism in order to teach good character and combat their own biases as well.
PROJECT 3: RACE IN EDUCATION Schools are Currently Apolitical Right now, schools try to be apolitical. K-12 teachers get punished if they discuss politics, particularly their own beliefs, with their students. As a country, we believe talking about race is inherently political because we correlate antiracism to political issues such as the prison system, income inequality, and other policy issues that our political representatives vote and make decisions on. These issues should not only concern the Black community, even though these issues disproportionately affect them. In schools, teachers are told to keep politics and race out of the classroom in order to protect the white fragility and privilege of many parents.
PROJECT 3: RACE IN EDUCATION Issues that have previously been seen as political are now a matter of character, one of the values many schools try to build in their students Being a good person means that you are trying to be actively anti-racist, and that is something that should be taught in schools. If schools are trying to build good character, along with academic progress, teachers should be supported in talking about racism in our country at the national and local levels and how to be actively anti-racist.
PROJECT 3: RACE IN EDUCATION Supporting Teachers in Discussions of Race in K-12 Education Since our community norms have changed due to the Black Lives Movement, our support for teachers to have difficult discussions also must change. Unfortunately, administrations and school boards are going to try to censor and silence these conversations like they have in the past. Who are the school boards and administrations protecting? Why? They are trying to protect themselves from the opinions and backlash the parents, particularly powerful parents who benefit from white-privilege.
PROJECT 3: RACE IN EDUCATION Why are parents and school administrations frequently uncomfortable with these conversations? They are afraid to take accountability for their actions in how they have furthered the issues of systemic racism in our country and how they have undoubtedly benefitted from it. White people frequently feel their own white fragility when being confronted about race and racism. These feelings come off as shame, guilt, rationalization, discomfort, or even offense when they have to confront their own biases and actions. Now is the time to fight for racial justice in our schools in order to make it a more comfortable place for the Black community and other marginalized groups. By not having these conversations at home and in school, we are perpetuating racism.
Check Out My Published Article Here: W I L L W E S T I L L F I G H T F O R R AC I A L J U S T I C E I N S C H O O L S T H I S FA L L ? HTTPS://EDUCATIONP OST.ORG/WILL-WE- STILL-FIGHT-FOR- RACIAL-JUSTICE-IN- SCHOOLS-THIS-FALL/
PROJECT 4: COLLEGE NORMS DURING COVID-19 The concerns of entering college during the COVID-19 pandemic are completely valid, but they should not dissuade people from making the most of the experience. College is supposed to be a time where we are exposed to situations that build open- mindedness, growth from discomfort, and adaptability.
PROJECT 4: COLLEGE NORMS DURING COVID-19 College Norms Before COVID-19 Before COVID, college social life had a big focus on party culture. Right now, people age 20-44 are the leading age group of COVID cases and COVID spread. Why? Primarily because of party culture. So, we are going have to say goodbye to the party lifestyle, at least until it is safer. How can Students Still Have fun Without Partying? This year we might have to be a little more creative about finding fun, but these memories will be so much more meaningful to us in the long run because of our creativity. We can break the norms of party culture by creating memories of picnicking with our close friends, sharing a laugh, or discussing future plans. We can go star gazing, listen to new music, go hiking, or join a new club or two, instead of sitting in our frustration of what COVID-19 has taken away from our college experience.
PROJECT 4: COLLEGE NORMS DURING COVID-19 An Early Introduction to The Practice of Being Intentional This is a quality that adults frequently learn in the workplace, but we have the opportunity to practice it now because nearly everything will be just a little bit more difficult than before. We are going to have to set intentions on what we really want to get out of our college experience. Do you want to make a point of visiting your professors online office hours? Do you want to make time to have a socially distanced coffee with an old friend? How are you going to give time to yourself? Will you try to keep up some old COVID safe activities or try something new? Adaptability and open-mindedness is going to be key to keeping you grounded and ready to explore what the new college life has to offer.
PROJECT 4: COLLEGE NORMS DURING COVID-19 Keep Finding The Joy This will probably the most challenging, because this year will be hard on our mindset. It will challenge us every day to keep finding the joy, because it is all too easy to wish that everything was different. It won t be bad; it just won t be the same. We can and we will embrace this year of uncertainty and the challenges that will come with it by going into the semester with an attitude of excitement, adaptability, open-mindedness, and creativity so we can continuously find joy. But be Fair to Yourself, This is Going to be Hard There will be times we will get sad. There will be times that we will miss how things used to be the campus traditions we used to partake in, the seemingly never-ending nights out, and having a full campus with all of our friends completely unafraid of sickness and isolation. It would be unhealthy to ignore these feelings. But we can acknowledge these feelings at the same time as being excited to have a joy filled year. We will find the beauty in the present and be excited to create new memories.
CHECK OUT MY PUBLISHED ARTICLE HERE: THE NORMS OF COLLEGE LIFE ARE OUT THE WINDOW. NOW WHAT? HTTPS:// WWW.STLAWU.EDU /ADMISSIO NS/NORMS -COLLEGE - LIFE -ARE-OUT- WINDOW-NOW-WHAT
PROJECT 5: ARE WE TEACHING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP NORMS? Students learn norms of society starting their first day in the classroom, particularly the norms of leadership and what makes a good leader. Students look to their teachers for leadership cues along with student leaders who have become classroom role models. The definition of leadership that is learned in schools carries weight throughout a lifetime, so we need to make sure we are creating a base of values and qualities in our nation s future leaders starting in the classroom In our country, we too often see leaders who are headstrong, confident, and clever white men, but they frequently lack the necessary leadership characteristics such as empathy, care, and the ability to listen to others. Teachers should take steps to encourage students who seem more reserved but deeply care about connecting with their peers to run for class leadership positions even though they don t align with our nation s typical understanding of what a leader is.
PROJECT 5: ARE WE TEACHING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP NORMS? What makes a Good Leader? With the rise of COVID-19, we have seen a variety of leadership styles used to address the threads of the virus. The successful leadership styles we have seen are those who are willing to listen to experts, question their own first thoughts, show empathy to their constituents grieving a loss of a loved one, and acting as a role model with grace during a time of high stress. Leadership styles unlike those common to leaders in the US - leadership styles that are connected to the feminine characteristics of intelligence and confidence along with empathy, love, the ability to listen. Because of COVID-19, our world has seen and admired the qualities that truly make an amazing leader, so we don t want to continue to validate our typical definition of leadership. We must actively redefine what a leader is starting in the classroom.
PROJECT 5: ARE WE TEACHING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP NORMS? Redefining Leadership in the Classroom Since the understanding of leadership and character building happens in the classroom, we must actively focus on promoting good leadership qualities, not just quick cleverness, confidence, and determination without collaboration. When teachers amplify voices and encourage students who care deeply, but might be a little more reserved, to run for class leadership positions, they are teaching other students how to be a good leader. Rather than nominating students who are headstrong and want to make classroom decisions based on their own desires, teachers are proving to the rest of the class that leaders who should show empathy, listen to others, and respect their peers should be appreciated and given the opportunity to make change.
PROJECT 5: ARE WE TEACHING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP NORMS? Diversifying Leadership in the Classroom Including students who do not look like the majority of our nation s political leaders will give them the confidence that they deserve to be a leader no matter what they look like. If classroom leaders are commonly white boys, similar to many of our presidents, the young BIPOC students might believe that leadership positions aren t meant for them. In reality, our country needs much more diversity in positions of power. These communities of color aren t adequately represented on a political level, and their voices are frequently silenced when decisions are being made. The white political leaders often make decisions that will benefit their own communities and in turn disregard the communities of color who need help the most. BIPOC people are the only ones that understand their own experiences and therefore know what actions to take in order to improve their community s quality of life. Amplifying the voices of BIPOC students will give them the chance to solidify their strengths as classroom leaders and show their white peers that BIPOC leaders will make the world a more equal and better place.
PROJECT 5: ARE WE TEACHING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP NORMS? Encouraging Students to Questions Societal and National Norms Teachers should encourage all students to question the norms of our nation and question the norms of the classroom. While many people fear that questioning norms will cause significant societal change, this is the change we need. By questioning the norms of masculinity and therefore the norms of power structures, we are opening up the space to those who want to be leaders but just don t think it s their place in society. It will take away space from people who are in positions of power that support misogynistic and racist leaders we see today.
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