Starcher Dissertation
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THE TRIRACIAL EXPERIENCE IN A POOR APPALACHIAN COMMUNITY: HOW SOCIAL IDENTITY SHAPES THE SCHOOL LIVES OF RURAL MINORITIES A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Education of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education Stephanie Diane Starcher June 2005 2005 Stephanie Diane Starcher All Rights Reserved This dissertation entitled THE TRIRACIAL EXPERIENCE IN A POOR APPALACHIAN COMMUNITY: HOW SOCIAL IDENTITY SHAPES THE SCHOOL LIVES OF RURAL MINORITIES BY STEPHANIE DIANE STARCHER has been approved for the Department of Educational Studies and the College of Education of Ohio University by Arlie Woodrum Associate Professor of Education James Heap Dean, Ohio University College of Education STARCHER, STEPHANIE D. Ed.D. June 2005. Education Administration The Triracial Experience in a Poor Appalachian Community: How Social Identity Shapes the School Lives of Rural Minorities (176 pp.) Director of Dissertation: Arlie Woodrum This study investigates the ways racial labeling and the stigmas associated with a poor rural community influence the life circumstances of a group of triracial families living in Appalachia. Qualitative interviewing techniques are used as a way of understanding what is going on in the daily lives of participating triracial families. The data reveal that markers of distinctiveness associated with race, class, and place shape the identities of participants, which, in turn, influence their school experiences. Participants who identify with the African-American sociocultural group experience a —caste-like“ status because of the compounding effect of racial stigmas and stereotypes of place and class. Faced with such oppressive life conditions, participants report that social advancement is nearly impossible. The values of competition, achievement, and securing an ever higher standard of living that are promulgated by the school compete with participants‘ version of what constitutes the —good life“ in this rural setting. Students must often choose between the beliefs of their own culture and those advanced by the school. Participants report that community members who do not share these multiple markers of distinctiveness are less likely to experience such cultural conflict and the same degree of marginalization at school. Approved: Arlie Woodrum Associate Professor of Education Dedication This work is dedicated to two extremely supportive people in my life. To my mother, who has since passed on, I am grateful that you served as an advocate of compassion-- always encouraging me to be sensitive to the needs and perspectives of others. I miss you, and I love you. Finally, I dedicate this study to my loving husband who continually supports my dreams and endeavors. At times, your faith in my ability to complete my degree far outweighed my own self-determination. You helped make this project a reality--I love you! Acknowledgments First, I would like to acknowledge the triracial families in southeastern Ohio who participated in the study. I am grateful for their willingness to share their life stories. My interactions with them have profoundly shaped my understanding of the ways social location influences schooling. Many Ohio University faculty members have significantly influenced and supported not only this research but my professional endeavors and educational beliefs as well. Although it is not possible to acknowledge them all, I want to name a few. Over the past four and a half years, Dr. Aimee Howley has fulfilled many roles in my graduate studies--first as my advisor as I completed Ohio University‘s Rural Principalship Program and later as a member of my dissertation committee. I thank Dr. Howley for her high academic standards. She constantly pushed me to delve deeper and encouraged me to marvel in what I perceived to be overwhelming complexities. Moreover, her constructive feedback greatly refined my writing skills, resulting in more coherent arguments. I was also fortunate to have on my dissertation committee the Dean of the College of Education, Dr. James Heap. He assisted in the development of conceptual themes by directing me to look at the mechanisms by which people understand one another and themselves. At times, I struggled to separate members‘ experiences from analytical constructs, and he challenged me to clarify my ideas. Dr. Mary Markowitz also served on my dissertation committee as representative for Ohio University‘s College of Education. She helped me comprehend the ways that social status impacts the lives and schooling of other marginalized groups, and this understanding guided the development of the idiographic theory advanced here. Another university faculty member who played a role in the completion of my dissertation is Dr. Rosalie Romano. Although she was not a member of my dissertation committee, she provided guidance throughout the process by encouraging me to approach these social and educational issues with sensitivity and respect for the participating families. During some of my most frustrating moments, Dr. Romano always inspired me to remain calm and look at this project from a practitioner‘s perspective. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the mentoring provided by Dr. Arlie Woodrum, my doctoral program advisor and chair of my dissertation committee. This project evolved, in part, from my interest in Dr. Woodrum‘s educational studies set in Appalachia. His understanding of how subordination influences social and educational experiences is amazing, and his passion for addressing social inequalities in schooling is motivating. Dr. Woodrum was extremely patient when providing continued direction and feedback. He guided me through the complicated process of interpreting the data and challenged me to understand the educational implications of my findings. The Graduate Study and Research Fund of Ohio University‘s College of Education provided monetary support for this study. I am grateful for this funding. 8 Table of Contents Page Abstract................................................................................................................................4 Dedication............................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................6 List of Tables .....................................................................................................................11 Chapter One .......................................................................................................................12 Background..................................................................................................................12 Rationale for Research...........................................................................................13 Discussion of Relevant Sociological Constructs .........................................................15 Triracial Isolate ......................................................................................................16 Culture and Race....................................................................................................18 Identity ...................................................................................................................18 Context of the Study ....................................................................................................19 Pilot Study..............................................................................................................19 Description of the Research Site............................................................................21 Framing the Research Questions .................................................................................24 Limitations and Delimitations......................................................................................27 Chapter Two.......................................................................................................................29 Understanding the Experience of Oppression..............................................................29 Experiencing Oppression: Class Versus Caste .....................................................31 Identity .........................................................................................................................33 How Social Reality Influences Identity .................................................................35 How Race Shapes Identity...........................................................................................38 Racial Labeling as a Source of Othering ...............................................................38 Reactions to Racial Labels.....................................................................................44 Rurality as a Form of Marginalization.........................................................................52 Description of Rural Communities ........................................................................52 Poor Rural Communities........................................................................................55 Schooling in Rural Communities...........................................................................57 Poor Blacks in the Rural Setting............................................................................61 Summary......................................................................................................................63