DOCSLIB.ORG

Counter Narratives: a Phenomenological Study of High Achieving African American Male High School Students

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Counter Narratives: a Phenomenological Study of High Achieving African American Male High School Students University of Louisville ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository Electronic Theses and Dissertations 12-2018 Counter narratives: a phenomenological study of high achieving African American male high school students. De'Nay Lanise Speaks University of Louisville Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/etd Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, and the Urban Education Commons Recommended Citation Speaks, De'Nay Lanise, "Counter narratives: a phenomenological study of high achieving African American male high school students." (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3096. https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/3096 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has retained all other copyrights. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COUNTER NARRATIVES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF HIGH ACHIEVING AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS By De’Nay Lanise Speaks B.A., University of Louisville, 2003 M.A.T., University of Louisville, 2005 Ed.S., University of Louisville, 2012 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Education and Human Development of the University of Louisville In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Education In Educational Leadership and Organizational Development Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky December 2018 Copyright 2018 by De’Nay Speaks All rights reserved COUNTER NARRATIVES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF HIGH ACHIEVING AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS By De’Nay Lanise Speaks B.S., University of Louisville, 2003 M.A. T., University of Louisville, 2005 Ed.S., University of Louisville, 2012 A Dissertation Approved on November 12, 2018 By the following Dissertation Committee: ________________________________________ Dr. William K. Ingle, Dissertation Co-Chair ________________________________________ Dr. Detra Johnson, Dissertation Co-Chair ________________________________________ Dr. Mary Brydon-Miller ________________________________________ Dr. Derrick Brooms ii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to all who exhibit counter narratives in my life: My husband, three sons, my father, brother-in-law, and two nephews. You are the true essence of what it means to be Black males. Thank you for allowing me to directly or indirectly tell your story. Your example to the world and contribution to this work is recognized and appreciated. To my mother, sister, and niece…I love you more than words can describe and I appreciate your support through this process. Lastly, to EVERYONE who has supported me, I could not have accomplished this daunting task without you. I am forever grateful. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS God, I thank you for this opportunity to use my education to improve the lives and circumstances of others. I know that there are two things in life that no one can take away-my salvation and my education. It is only through you that I have attained either. Thank you for constantly providing health, strength, courage, and PEACE. My prayer is for my life’s work to align with your ministry and to be done to your satisfaction. Please let this contribution to the field of research also serve to bless someone in a way that encourages them to view African American males in a new light. I am motivated by Philippians 1:6, which declares, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Thank you for completing this work within me. I love, honor, and adore you. Erik, thank you for sacrificing so that I could work on this degree. You are an amazing father to our boys and I am so grateful for your example to them. I could not have completed this degree without you. Thank you for your support, even on the days when you didn’t feel like being a support. You did it anyway, and I love you for it! I apologize for not being present at times (literally and figuratively) and I appreciate you for loving me anyway. When we celebrate this degree, it will be a celebration of US. ~LOYL Mrs. Akins, I have watched you since I was a little girl. I am certain I would not be who I am without your influence in my life. I knew that if I could only be half the iv woman of God and educator you are, I would be great. Witnessing God bring your vision of Carter G. Woodson Academy to fruition was pure joy and inspiration for me. This dissertation is a reflection of your life’s work and I pray you find it to be a glorious tribute on your behalf. Your work is both necessary and legendary. Thank you for your never-ending support and influence. I love you. v ABSTRACT COUNTER NARRATIVES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF HIGH ACHIEVING AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS De’Nay Speaks November 12, 2018 This dissertation examined the contributing factors to the success of high achieving African American male high school students who attend an all-male, predominantly Black, college-preparatory academy. The study took place in an urban, Midwestern school district and highlighted the lived experience and perspectives of students who have at least a 3.0 grade point average. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, this study was an effort to bring attention to counter narratives to the otherwise deleterious image portrayed of African American males. The history and plight of the African American male is included to provide a comprehensive understanding of the African American experience. Critical examination of data revealed findings around school experiences; influencers; and subsequent perceptions, values, beliefs. The implications of these findings and potential future research are included in the latter portion of this dissertation. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................2 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................4 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................5 Organization of Forthcoming Chapters ...................................................................6 Definition of Terms..................................................................................................8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................10 A History of the Black Male: A Legacy Written by Others .................................10 The long shadow of slavery and oppression. ........................................................ 11 The plight of African American males. ................................................................ 14 The Miseducation of the Negro. ........................................................................... 17 The American school system and school reform efforts. ..................................... 19 Critical Race Theory ..............................................................................................22 Critical Race Theory and Its Application to African American Males. ............... 23 Perceptions and Dispositions Perpetuating the Current Narrative .........................24 Educator Perspectives. .......................................................................................... 25 Parent Perspectives. .............................................................................................. 28 Student Perspectives. ............................................................................................ 29 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................39 Research Design.....................................................................................................39 Phenomenology......................................................................................................40 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................... 46 vii Data Collection ......................................................................................................49 Data Analysis .........................................................................................................51 Researcher Positionality.........................................................................................55 Ethical Considerations ...........................................................................................56 Summary of Methodology .....................................................................................57 CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Disrupting the Single Story: Challengin...Rratives Through a Critical Race Lens
    10/11/2019 Disrupting the single story: Challenging dominant trauma narratives through a critical race lens. (/) (http://rightslink.apa.org/journal/2019- () () () () () © Request Permissions 57837-001) Turn Dictionary Off () Online First Posting Disrupting the Single Story: Challenging Dominant Trauma Narratives Through a Critical Race Lens Laura Quiros (/search/results?latSearchType=a&term=Quiros%2C%20Laura) (mailto:[email protected]), Rani Varghese (/search/results? latSearchType=a&term=Varghese%2C%20Rani), Todd Vanidestine (/search/results? latSearchType=a&term=Vanidestine%2C%20Todd) Author Affiliations Quiros, L., Varghese, R., & Vanidestine, T. (2019). Disrupting the single story: Challenging dominant trauma narratives through a critical race lens. Traumatology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/trm0000223 Abstract The links between individual and structural racism and trauma are insubstantial in the trauma literature. Drawing on a few of the tenets of critical race theory (CRT), the ordinariness of racism, differential racialization, and counterstorytelling narratives, this article provides a brief history of CRT and makes connections between CRT and trauma-informed practices. The authors position CRT as a useful vehicle in more intentionally linking trauma work to discussions of race and racism. They offer a perspective about ways to begin explicit conversations about race, racism, and Whiteness in the context of trauma work. This article addresses a gap in the trauma literature that does not take up racial
    [Show full text]
  • Gender and the Genocide in Rwanda
    Gender and the Genocide in Rwanda This book examines the mobilization, role, and trajectory of women rescuers and perpetrators during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. While much has been written about the victimization of women during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, very little has been said about women who rescued targeted victims or perpetrated crimes against humanity. This book explores and analyzes the role played by women who exercised agency as rescuers and as per- petrators during the genocide in Rwanda. As women, they took actions and deci- sions within the context of a deeply entrenched patriarchal system that limited their choices. This work examines two diverging paths of women’s agency during this period: to rescue from genocide or to perpetrate genocide. It seeks to answer three questions: First, how were certain Rwandan women mobilized to parti- cipate in genocide, and by whom? Second, what were the specific actions of women during this period of violence and upheaval? Finally, what were the tra- jectories of women rescuers and perpetrators after the genocide? Comparing and contrasting how women rescuers and perpetrators were mobilized, the actions they undertook, and their post- genocide trajectories, and concluding with a broader discussion of the long- term impact of ignoring these women, this book develops a more nuanced and holistic view of women’s agency and the genocide in Rwanda. This book will be of interest to students of gender studies, genocide studies, African politics and critical security studies. Sara E. Brown is a Fellow at the USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education, and has a PhD in Comparative Genocide Studies from Clark University, USA.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Narrative in Healing in Rwanda
    UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL THE ROLE OF NARRATIVE IN HEALING IN RWANDA by Corianne Wielenga 982186146 A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies School of Economics and Finance Faculty of Management Studies Supervisor: Prof. Geoff Harris 2010 DECLARATION I ………………………………………………………………declare that (i) The research reported in this dissertation/thesis, except where otherwise indicated, is my original research. (ii) This dissertation/thesis has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university. (iii) This dissertation/thesis does not contain other persons’ data, pictures, graphs or other information, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other persons. (iv) This dissertation/thesis does not contain other persons’ writing, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other researchers. Where other written sources have been quoted, then: a) their words have been re-written but the general information attributed to them has been referenced: b) where their exact words have been used, their writing has been placed inside quotation marks, and referenced. (v) This dissertation/thesis does not contain text, graphics or tables copied and pasted from the Internet, unless specifically acknowledged, and the source being detailed in the dissertation/thesis and in the References sections. Signature: i Abstract In 1994, almost a million Tutsi and some Hutu were massacred in Rwanda during the 100 day genocide. Between 1995 and 1998, nearly the same number of Hutu and some Tutsi died, while in flight, primarily in the former Zaire. In the years following genocide, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans have been accused of genocide related crimes.
    [Show full text]
  • A Critical Race Theory Analysis Counterstory of Illinois' Lewis E
    Illinois State University ISU ReD: Research and eData Theses and Dissertations 6-16-2014 Inequitable School Funding In Illinois Colorblind Or Blindfolded: A Critical Race Theory Analysis Counterstory Of Illinois' Lewis E. V. Spagnolo Mariette Yevette Cheatam Illinois State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons Recommended Citation Cheatam, Mariette Yevette, "Inequitable School Funding In Illinois Colorblind Or Blindfolded: A Critical Race Theory Analysis Counterstory Of Illinois' Lewis E. V. Spagnolo" (2014). Theses and Dissertations. 235. https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/235 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ISU ReD: Research and eData. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ISU ReD: Research and eData. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INEQUITABLE SCHOOL FUNDING IN ILLINOIS COLORBLIND OR BLINDFOLDED: A CRITICAL RACE THEORY ANALYSIS COUNTERSTORY OF ILLINOIS’ LEWIS E. v. SPAGNOLO Mariette Y. Cheatam 339 Pages December 2014 Despite the Illinois school funding formula continuing to be one of the most staggeringly unequal in the nation, the Illinois State Supreme Court excludes school finance from judicial review. Although entities such as the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education , continue to both collect and analyze education results along racial and ethnic lines, many studies leave out the importance of racism in their analysis. In its search for the colorblind doctrine, this critical race theory (CRT) study focuses on Lewis E.
    [Show full text]
  • Intersectional Leadership: a Critical Narrative Analysis Of
    INTERSECTIONAL LEADERSHIP: A CRITICAL NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP BY BLACK WOMEN IN STUDENT AFFAIRS Dissertation Submitted to The School of Education and Health Sciences of the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership By Daria-Yvonne J. Graham, M.Ed. UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON Dayton, Ohio May 2018 INTERSECTIONAL LEADERSHIP: A CRITICAL NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP BY BLACK WOMEN IN STUDENT AFFAIRS Name: Graham, Daria-Yvonne J. APPROVED BY: _______________________________________ Molly Schaller, Ph.D. Committee Chair _______________________________________ Michele Welkener, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor _______________________________________ Mary Ziskin, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor _______________________________________ Leslie Picca, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor _______________________________________ Kevin R. Kelly, Ph.D. Dean, School of Education and Health Sciences ii © Copyright by Daria-Yvonne Graham All rights reserved 2018 iii ABSTRACT INTERSECTIONAL LEADERSHIP: A CRITICAL NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP BY BLACK WOMEN IN STUDENT AFFAIRS Name: Graham, Daria-Yvonne University of Dayton Advisor: Dr. Molly Schaller Little research exists that centers the experiences of African American women student affairs administrators in higher education. The challenges and barriers that exist for African American women student affairs administrators are complex and directly connected to the history of slavery, race and racism in the United States. Concepts such as mentorship, success, and leadership are situated in normative practices informed by White narratives and privileged vantage points. The aim of this qualitative study is to illuminate how the experiences of African American women student affairs administrators at predominantly White institutions support or contradict leadership models often used as frameworks for development and strategy.
    [Show full text]
  • Critical Bilingual Leadership (Liderazgo)1 for Emergent Bilingual Latin@ Students
    Vol. 17, No. 1 International Journal of Multicultural Education 2015 Challenging the Dominant Narrative: Critical Bilingual Leadership 1 (Liderazgo) for Emergent Bilingual Latin@ Students Joseph Wiemelt University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign U.S.A. Anjale Welton University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign U.S.A. ABSTRACT: The growing “Latinization” of the United States is drastically changing the demographics of the students served in PK-12 public schools (Irizarry, 2011). To understand how educational leaders can best serve this changing student population, we used Critical Bilingual leadership, Liderazgo, to interrogate the aim to create a culturally and linguistically responsive school. We found that Liderazgo was operationalized across the following themes: promoting dual language programming as the foundation for equity; drawing on experiential knowledge as a strength; fostering relationships through transcaring; and exercising instructional bilingual leadership. KEYWORDS: educational leadership, critical bilingual leadership, dual language, Spanish speakers, bilingual education Theoretical Framework Methods Findings Discussion and Conclusion Notes References Author Contact Current shifts in student enrollment are drastically changing the linguistic landscape in U.S schools. Between 2001 and 2011, the percentage of White students in U.S. public schools decreased from 60% to 52%, and this coincided with an increase in Latin@2 student enrollment from 17% to 24% (NCES, 2014). Furthermore, a significant percentage of U.S. Latin@ students is considered English Language Learners (ELL). According to the most recently reported data from the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 37% of Latin@ students in grade 4 and 21% in grade 8 were labeled ELL (Hemphill & Vanneman, 2010). Subtractive school ideologies, policies, and practices force Latin@ youth to shed their multidimensional identities for a chance of school success (Irizarry, 2011; 82 Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Disparity Despite Diversity: Social Injustice in New York City's Urban
    Disparity Despite Diversity: Social Injustice in New York City’s Urban Agriculture System Kristin Reynolds Environmental Studies/Tishman Environment and Design Center, The New School, New York, NY, USA; [email protected] Abstract: Many studies have documented the benefits of urban agriculture, including increased food access, job creation, educational opportunities, and green space. A focus on its social benefits has fed an association of urban agriculture with social justice, yet there is a distinction between alleviating symptoms of injustice (such as disparate access to food or environmental amenities) and disrupting structures that underlie them. Despite its positive impacts, urban agriculture systems may reinforce inequities that practitioners and supporters aim to address. This paper reports findings from a 2-year study of urban agriculture in New York City, which found race- and class-based disparities among practi- tioners citywide. Using the lens of critical race theory, it argues that a failure to examine urban agriculture’s role in either supporting or dismantling unjust structures may perpetuate an inequitable system. The paper concludes with recommendations for urban agriculture supporters and scholars to help advance social justice at structural levels. Keywords: action research, alternative food movements, critical race theory, social justice, racial justice, urban agriculture Introduction As the autumn harvest season began in 2010, a New York Magazine article highlighted some of the City’s up-and-coming urban farmers, hailing them as the “new class of growers” (see Stein 2010). Included in the article and its accompanying photographs were the leaders of what the author deemed some of New York City’s “most notable” urban farms and gardens.
    [Show full text]
  • The Wartime Rape Narrative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo By
    The Wartime Rape Narrative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo By: Baillie Bell Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MA degree in History Department of History Faculty of Arts University of Ottawa © Baillie Bell, Ottawa, Canada 2016 ii Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ iii Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: Dominant Discourses on Violence ............................................................... 12 Discourse on the Congo ...................................................................................................... 23 The Wartime Rape Discourse in the DRC .......................................................................... 32 Misguided Interventions ..................................................................................................... 39 Chapter Two: Gender Dynamics and A History of Inequality ........................................... 44 Gender Based Violence In the DRC- The Construction of a Victim .................................. 48 Components of Community Belonging .............................................................................. 59 Gender Relations From the Colonial to the Post-Colonial ................................................. 66 Gender, Marriage, and
    [Show full text]
  • Repositioning Narratives for Empowerment and Change in Sustainability Education
    Portland State University PDXScholar Leadership for Sustainability Education Comprehensive Papers Educational Leadership and Policy Spring 2015 Peripheral No More: Repositioning Narratives for Empowerment and Change in Sustainability Education Rell G. Ohlson Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/lse_comp Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, and the Sustainability Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Ohlson, Rell G., "Peripheral No More: Repositioning Narratives for Empowerment and Change in Sustainability Education" (2015). Leadership for Sustainability Education Comprehensive Papers. 9. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/lse_comp/9 This Working Paper is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Leadership for Sustainability Education Comprehensive Papers by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. PERIPHERAL NO MORE 1 Peripheral No More: Repositioning narratives for empowerment and change in sustainability education Rell Ohlson Portland State University Spring 2015 PERIPHERAL NO MORE 2 Table of Contents Part I: Preamble 3 Guiding values and principles 3 Personal educational and leadership philosophies 4 Key Learning in the LSE Program 7 Part II: Academic Synthesis 11 Introduction 11 Literature Review 13 Dominant Narratives and Marginalized Identities 13 Dominant Narratives in Higher Education 13 Dominant Narratives in Sustainability 16 Shifting Paradigms 18 Critical Pedagogy 19 Sustainability Education 21 Visioning a Solution 23 My solution: repositioning towards marginalized narratives 24 Framework for Solution 25 Affirm 26 Value 29 Engage 30 Transform 32 Conclusion 34 References 37 PERIPHERAL NO MORE 3 Preamble Danvers (2009) said that “the word sustain carries both the sense of enduring and the sense of giving nourishment to or supporting” (p.
    [Show full text]
  • Intersectionality, Non-Binary Identities, and the Future of LGBT Psychology
    Getting out of the box: Intersectionality, non-binary identities, and the future of LGBT Psychology Kimberly F. Balsam, Ph.D. Division 44 President, 2016-2017 This column includes the text from my Division 44 Presidential Address on August 5, 2017 in Washington, D.C., formatted for the Division 44 newsletter and website. Welcome, and thank you for attending my Presidential Address. It is such an honor and a privilege to have spent this year as the President of Division 44. It’s something that I have always wanted to do since I first walked through the doors of the suite in 1995 and found my professional home. After I was elected, many people asked me how I felt about giving the Presidential Address. The truth is that it is one of the most exciting things about this year for me. The integration of personal experience, professional work, and vision for our community into a single speech is something I could always see myself doing. The specific topic of my address – getting out of the box – came to me last year, and throughout the year I have engaged with it and developed my ideas. I’m so excited to have so many of you here, and to add my voice to the ongoing discourse regarding the future of LGBTQ psychology. Here is an overview of what I will cover today: First, I will introduce my topic and talk about my own positionality with respect to it. Next, I will discuss some current challenges in LGBTQ communities in the U.S., and then explore two issues that are at the forefront of LGBTQ psychology now: intersectionality and non-binary identities.
    [Show full text]
  • Dominant Narratives, Subjugated Knowledges, and the Righting of the Story of Disability in K-12 Curricula
    Curriculum Inquiry ISSN: 0362-6784 (Print) 1467-873X (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rcui20 Dominant narratives, subjugated knowledges, and the righting of the story of disability in K-12 curricula Jessica K. Bacon & Priya Lalvani To cite this article: Jessica K. Bacon & Priya Lalvani (2019) Dominant narratives, subjugated knowledges, and the righting of the story of disability in K-12 curricula, Curriculum Inquiry, 49:4, 387-404, DOI: 10.1080/03626784.2019.1656990 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.2019.1656990 Published online: 09 Oct 2019. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 400 View related articles View Crossmark data Citing articles: 1 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rcui20 CURRICULUM INQUIRY 2019, VOL. 49, NO. 4, 387–404 https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.2019.1656990 Dominant narratives, subjugated knowledges, and the righting of the story of disability in K-12 curricula Jessica K. Bacon and Priya Lalvani Department of Early Childhood, Elementary and Literacy Education, Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA ABSTRACT KEYWORDS Dominant stories, as upheld through K-12 curricula, are influential Disability studies; discourse in reproducing systems of power and privilege in schools and theory; K-12 curriculum; society. In this article, we suggest that stories of people with dis- critical pedagogy; ableism abilities are either missing in K-12 curricula, or told in ways that are highly ableist. We use discourse theory as a frame for consid- ering the role of curricula in reproducing power/knowledge in schools, and promote critical pedagogy as a tool for teaching stu- dents to recognize and disrupt the ableism inherent in dominant educational discourses.
    [Show full text]
  • Constructing Rwandan Identity in the Diaspora: Remembering the Green Hills in Cold Canada
    CONSTRUCTING RWANDAN IDENTITY IN THE DIASPORA: REMEMBERING THE GREEN HILLS IN COLD CANADA ANNA AINSWORTH A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN POLITICAL SCIENCE YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO OCTOBER, 2015 ©ANNA AINSWORTH 2015 Abstract This study investigated the processes of identity formation among those who identified as Rwandan and lived in the Greater Toronto Area. The study was conducted using in-depth qualitative interviews and ethnographic participant observation. It argues that those who identified as Rwandan in the GTA were subject to powerful discourses of simultaneous belonging and non-belonging in both the Canadian and the Rwandan state. The extreme violence of the Rwandan genocide ruptured the bonds of belonging that had tied those who identified as Rwandan to each other and to the Rwandan state. Since 1994, the new Rwandan state had developed a powerful mythico-history that proposed that all those who are identified as Hutu are perpetual perpetrators and all those who are identified as Tutsi are perpetual victims, even as it had denied that the identities of Hutu and Tutsi continued to exist. The re-telling and re-enacting of this mythico-history became the condition of belonging to the newly created diaspora and the Rwandan state. Simultaneously, ambivalent welcome and racialization that those who identified as Rwandan faced in Canada, and, specifically, the GTA, generated an anxiety and an awareness that they could only partially belong in the new homeland. Thus, the exclusion of the Canadian state generated a desire for the imagined homeland and enabled the Rwandan state to create a diaspora.
    [Show full text]