Cultural Identity and Third Space: an Exploration of Their Connection in a Title I School
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ASU Digital Repository Cultural Identity and Third Space: An Exploration of their Connection in a Title I School by Brittani Kalyani Roy A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Approved July 2017 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: Ray R. Buss, Chair David Carlson Teresa McCarty ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY August 2017 ABSTRACT Implementing an assimilative agenda within the traditional U.S. education system has prevented the authentic inclusion, validation, and development of American Indian students. The enduring ramifications, including the loss of cultural identity, underscored the critical need to decolonize, or challenge, the historic assimilative agenda of the school space. The purpose of this action research study was to examine the connection between the cultural exploration activities of Culture Club, cultural identity, and the creation of a Third Space to serve as a decolonizing framework for this Indigenous program conducted within a school space. The epistemological perspective guiding this study was that of constructionism. The theoretical frameworks were post-colonial theory, Indigenous methodology, and, most prominently, Third Space theory. A thorough review of Third Space theory resulted in deduction of four criteria deemed to be necessary for creating a Third Space. These four theoretically-deduced criteria were (a) creating new knowledge, (b) reclaiming and reinscribing hegemonic notions of identity and school, (c) creating new or hybrid identities, and (d) developing more inclusive perspectives. The criteria were employed to create the Culture Club innovation and to determine whether a Third Space was effectively created within Culture Club. This qualitative action research study focused on the Culture Club innovation, an after-school, cultural exploration, extracurricular program for sixth-grade American Indian students, at a Title I school in a large southwest metropolitan area. The participants were five, sixth-grade American Indian students. The role of the researcher was to facilitate a Third Space within Culture Club, as well as collect and analyze data. i Data were collected using semi-structured interviews; recorded Culture Club sessions; and research journal entries. Once the data were transcribed, eclectic coding methodology, consisting of open, descriptive, and in vivo coding, was employed and interpretive analysis procedures followed. Findings showed modest changes in participants’ cultural identities but confirmed the creation of a Third Space within Culture Club. Findings have important implications for both practice and future research. Recommendations for improving and sustaining the decolonizing framework of Culture Club to create safe spaces for American Indian students and their explorations of their Indigeneity are also proposed. ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to all of the Indigenous students in the heart of the Navajo Nation, who have taught and inspired me in more ways than they will ever know. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am enormously thankful for both my family’s support of my ardent work as an educator, as well as all that my students have taught me about life, love, happiness, and perseverance. I am also deeply appreciative of my outstanding dissertation committee. Thank you, Dr. Ray Buss, for your enthusiastic work and dedication to the dissertation process. I do not know what would do without your guidance. Dr. David Carlson, thank you for your continual support and feedback. Dr. Teresa McCarty, thank you for your unwavering encouragement and flexibility. Your collective efforts demonstrate the power of collaboration. Most of all, I am eternally grateful to my father, Dr. Ashok Roy, for planting and nurturing my passion for education. Your many late nights and early mornings spent studying, frequent discussions of family values, and support of my academic success ingrained in me the importance of grit, purpose, and investment in education. The legacy of your perfervid belief in education will forever live-on through me and the lives you continue to touch. Thank you for everything, Baba. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ ix LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... ..x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION, CONTEXT, AND PURPOSE OF THE ACTION RESEARCH STUDY ............................................................................................................................. ..1 Overview and Purpose of Study .............................................................................4 Research Questions .................................................................................................5 Context – Contemporary Challenges ......................................................................5 Historical Context ...................................................................................................6 Situational Context ................................................................................................12 Summary ...............................................................................................................13 TWO: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES AND REVIEW OF SUPPORTING SCHOLARSHIP ............................................................................................................... 15 Overview of Theoretical Components ..................................................................15 Constructionism .....................................................................................................17 Post-Colonial Theory ............................................................................................18 Indigenous Methodology .......................................................................................21 v CHAPTER Page Third Space ............................................................................................................25 Implications for Study ...........................................................................................31 Qualitative Research Design .................................................................................34 Coding ...................................................................................................................36 Supporting Scholarship .........................................................................................37 Culture Club ..........................................................................................................51 Summary ...............................................................................................................53 THREE: METHOD ...........................................................................................................55 Qualitative Research Design .................................................................................55 Culture Club Context .............................................................................................57 Role of the Researcher ..........................................................................................57 Participants ............................................................................................................59 Innovation ..............................................................................................................64 Data Collection Procedure .....................................................................................69 Data Analysis Procedure .......................................................................................73 Triangulation and Validity ....................................................................................80 vi CHAPTER Page Summary ...............................................................................................................81 FOUR: FINDINGS ............................................................................................................82 Findings for Research Question 1 .........................................................................83 Findings for Research Question 2 ........................................................................105 Summary ..............................................................................................................153 FIVE: DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................155 Recapitulation of Purpose and Summary of Outcomes .......................................155 Triangulation of Qualitative Data ........................................................................156 Outcomes Related to Research and Theory .........................................................157 Limitations of the Study.......................................................................................169 Implications for Practice ......................................................................................172 Implications for Future Research .........................................................................175 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................177 REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................179