Red Dirt Resistance: Oklahoma
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RED DIRT RESISTANCE: OKLAHOMA EDUCATORS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE By LISA LYNN Bachelor of Arts in Psychology University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 1998 Master of Science in Applied Behavioral Studies Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 2001 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May, 2018 RED DIRT RESISTANCE: OKLAHOMA EDUCATORS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE Dissertation Approved: Jennifer Job, Ph.D. Dissertation Adviser Pamela U. Brown, Ph.D. Erin Dyke, Ph.D. Lucy E. Bailey, Ph.D. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Jennifer Job for her tireless input, vision, and faith in this project. She endured panicked emails and endless questions. Thank you for everything. I would also like to thank Dr. Erin Dyke, Dr. Pam Brown, and Dr. Lucy Bailey for their support and words of encouragement. Each of you, in your own way, gently stretched me to meet the needs of this research and taught me about myself. Words are inadequate to express my gratitude. I would also like the thank Dr. Moon for his passionate instruction and support, and Dr. Wang for her guidance. I am particularly grateful for the friendship of my “cohort”, Ana and Jason. They and many others carried me through the rough spots. I want to acknowledge my mother and father for their unwavering encouragement and faith in me. Finally, I need to thank my partner, Ron Brooks. We spent hours debating research approaches, the four types of literacy, and gender in education while doing dishes, matching girls’ socks, and walking the dogs. Thank you for being my biggest cheerleader and brushing away my doubts. You are my partner in every way. To Jocelyn and Charlotte, I am so proud of who you are becoming. Thank you for understanding all the hours I spent on my laptop or with my nose in a book. I cannot wait to see what you add to the world. iii Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. Name: LISA LYNN Date of Degree: MAY, 2018 Title of Study: RED DIRT RESISTANCE: OKLAHOMA EDUCATORS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE Major Field: EDUCATION Abstract: This research explores narratives of women educators who work for change in their communities and position themselves as agents of change. Three large themes related to the educators’ experiences emerged during the analysis. The first was that conservative spaces required extensive navigation as an educator agent of change. Within this theme are stories of self-silencing, navigating authoritarian boundaries, and the tension of tribal sovereignty and colonialism. The second major theme involved challenges with self-identification as an agent of change and a persistent self-evaluation of their actions in comparison to real models or stereotyped representations of activism. The third major theme, evident through thematic analysis, embodied issues of race and racism. The two white women participants demonstrated elements of embodying and resisting the educator stereotype, ‘Lady Bountiful’ in their efforts to promote equity in education. Meiners’ (2015) critiques this Lady Bountiful as a feminized teacher stereotype whose role is to promote assimilation into white, heteronormative, Christian society. Alternatively, the two women educators of color experienced various institutional and explicit racism in their professional lives as agents of change. The intersectionality of race, class, and gender in the women’s narratives play out in the larger context of the conservative political ideology in Oklahoma. This research, while calling for the expansion of theorization of teacher activism, also implicates the need to examine the perpetuation of activist stereotypes and influences of activist teacher discourses in teacher education. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................1 Background of the Study .........................................................................................1 Problem Statement ..................................................................................................7 Purpose of Research ...............................................................................................12 Research Questions ................................................................................................13 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................................13 Methodology ..........................................................................................................16 Researcher Subjectivity .........................................................................................18 Significance of Study .............................................................................................19 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE..................................................................................21 Gender in Education ..............................................................................................23 Role of Female Teacher ............................................................................24 Consequences of a Feminized Profession ..................................................27 Oklahoma: Fertile Soil for Social Change .............................................................30 Educator Traditions in Social Change ...................................................................32 Tradition One: Educators not Teachers .....................................................33 Tradition Two: Educations as a Political Act ............................................35 Tradition Three: Educators Navigate Their Own Authority ......................37 Tradition Four: Enacting the Public Intellectual ........................................39 Trends in Contemporary Scholarship ....................................................................41 Conclusion .............................................................................................................44 III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................46 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................................47 Research Design Methodology ..............................................................................50 Participant Selection ..............................................................................................52 Data Collection ......................................................................................................55 Data Analysis .........................................................................................................56 v Ethical Considerations ...........................................................................................61 Trustworthiness ......................................................................................................62 IV. EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN EDUCATOR CHANGE AGENTS .....................64 Introduction ............................................................................................................66 Rhetorical Turn I ....................................................................................................67 Violet.........................................................................................................67 Jasmine ......................................................................................................68 Tulip ..........................................................................................................70 Peony.........................................................................................................72 Rhetorical Turn II ..................................................................................................73 Violet ........................................................................................................73 Jasmine ......................................................................................................74 Tulip ..........................................................................................................75 Peony.........................................................................................................76 Rhetorical Turn III .................................................................................................79 Violet ........................................................................................................79 Jasmine ......................................................................................................81 Tulip ..........................................................................................................84 Peony.........................................................................................................87 Rhetorical Turn IV .................................................................................................90 Violet ........................................................................................................91 Jasmine ......................................................................................................95 Tulip ..........................................................................................................97 Peony.........................................................................................................99