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Racial Identity in Educational Practices in the Context of Colombia

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Racial Identity in Educational Practices in the Context of Colombia Racial identity in educational practices in the context of Colombia Sandra Ximena Bonilla Medina Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Cass School of Education and Communities University of East London July 2017 1 ABSTRACT This thesis examines the relationship between race and education in Colombia. The study focuses on teachers’ perceptions of racial identities and educational practices. Through conceptualising educational practice at a multi-level approach of macro (policies and curriculum), meso (media) and micro levels (teaching practice), the study explores how (racial) discourses and practices at these levels may come to affect teachers’ understanding of racial identities and how this may be manifested in their understanding of teaching practices. An empirical approach based on interviews with sixteen state school teachers in the city of Bogota is used to analyse teachers’ experiences and ideas on issues of race and education. The study contributes to the field of education in Colombia by introducing the discussion of race which, up to now, has been underexplored. More specifically, this study identifies through critical discourse analysis how teachers make sense of dominant racial structures and how their understandings bear on their perceptions of educational practices. The analysis of these issues draws on a powerful theoretical framework which combines insights from critical race theory (CRT), whiteness and postcolonialism. CRT and Whiteness, in particular, seek to explore how racial identities are structurally constituted while postcolonialism facilitates the critical interrogation of constructions of those identities in relation to colonial historical events. This approach is very innovative, as CRT and Whiteness Studies have rarely been applied to explore educational issues in Colombia. It is argued that racist discourses in Colombia tend to be reproduced through educational practices since racist structures maintain power relations and those relations shape teachers’ views. The findings strongly suggest that whiteness-centred discourses present in public policies and in the media, seem to impact on teachers’ perspectives of racial identities and on educational practices. In relation to policy, this appears to be the case firstly because policies are usually imposed rather than discussed and this leads teachers to accept policy demands as regimes of truth; and secondly because whiteness involves a dysconscious racism that obscures the power relations in asymmetric relations. Furthermore, racial structures (namely whiteness) also appear to shape teachers’ educational practices by producing discriminatory practices towards students and 2 teachers themselves. More particularly, in the construction of racial identities, the findings suggest that white privilege is present in teachers’ self-identifications and that this privilege produces exclusionary practices. Consequently, white privilege appears to affect teachers’ views of racial identities and leads them to essentialise identities as fixed and unchangeable. These essentialisations also reflect discriminatory and exclusionary practices which also shape educational practices. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisors for their feedback. Their support was significant to help me keep on track despite the challenges. I want to stress John Preston’s wise advice as well as his encouragement and understanding as a person. Likewise, I am grateful to Charlotte Chadderton particularly for her genuine and interesting ideas that provoked an important element of inspiration in this thesis. I want to express my gratitude for their invitation to explore, what for me was the unknown world of race and education. I have enjoyed the experience and I am keen to continue with further explorations in the field. This thesis is dedicated to my family who are my most important treasure. In different ways, each of them gave me strength to deal with the hazards of this journey. To Valery, my oldest daughter, who at times took my own mother’s role to advise and encourage me when I felt tired. To my husband, who took seriously the role of a third advisor and played an important role in making this possible. And to Emmanuela, my little daughter, who generously sacrificed some of her ‘mother time’ to allow me to finish this thesis. Furthermore, this study would not have been possible without the support of my colleagues and friends who helped contact participants. At the same level, I feel in great debt with my participants who willingly accepted to be part of this study and share their experiences supportively. There are many people who collaborated in other levels. Family relatives such as my cousin Clara Bonilla who, at a distance, helped me to reach references, advice, and information from Colombia. That help was key to be able to complete stages of my project in which I did not have enough expertise. I am also grateful to other family relatives and friends such as Yolanda Samaca who were a significant support in maintaining connection with my work in Colombia and who were emotionally important to keep going and get to the end. NOTE OF SCHOLARSHIP This doctoral thesis was funded by Pearson Foundation and Universidad Distrital Francisco Jose de Caldas-Bogota-Colombia 4 Table of Contents ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................................ 9 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 9 Origins of this research: my personal journey ........................................................................... 9 Description of the empirical study ........................................................................................... 11 Contribution to knowledge ...................................................................................................... 12 Outline of the study .................................................................................................................. 12 Aims and research questions .................................................................................................... 13 Context of research .................................................................................................................. 15 Migratory movements: forming the city ............................................................................. 15 Bogota: race and education ................................................................................................. 16 The School system in Bogota .............................................................................................. 16 State schools and race affairs .............................................................................................. 17 Thesis Outline .......................................................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 2 ............................................................................................................................. 21 LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................................... 21 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 21 The Evolution of Colombian racial identity ............................................................................ 22 The historical evolution of Colombian racial identity ........................................................ 24 A contemporary outlook on race and racism in Colombia ................................................. 35 Educational practices in Colombia .......................................................................................... 44 Educational Practice: Common Trends ............................................................................... 45 Defining Teachers’ Educational Practice ............................................................................ 46 Wider views of Teachers’ Educational Practice ................................................................. 46 Teachers’ educational practices in the context of Colombia............................................... 47 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 3 .............................................................................................................................. 50 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................... 50 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 50 Racial identity .......................................................................................................................... 51 Combining Postcolonial, Whiteness and Critical Race theories .............................................. 53 5 Postcolonialism ..................................................................................................................
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