Toward a Construct of Balance: Graduate Education Faculty
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TOWARD A CONSTRUCT OF BALANCE: GRADUATE EDUCATION FACULTY AND THE NAVIGATION OF DIFFICULT DIALOGUES ON RACE by Kayon K Murray-Johnson, M.Ed., B.Ed., B.A A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Council of Texas State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Adult, Professional, and Community Education December 2015 Committee Members: Jovita M. Ross-Gordon, Chair Ann K. Brooks Joellen E. Coryell Mary V. Alfred COPYRIGHT by Kayon K. Murray-Johnson 2015 FAIR USE AND AUTHOR’S PERMISSION STATEMENT Fair Use This work is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, section 107). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgment. Use of this material for financial gain without the author’s express written permission is not allowed. Duplication Permission As the copyright holder of this work I, Kayon K. Murray-Johnson, authorize duplication of this work, in whole or in part, for educational or scholarly purposes only. Dedication To my husband, personal chaplain and co-scholar; to my son; to my mother: Your tireless display of real love is something I can only hope to practice, and to model in my own life personally and professionally. Thank you for being my greatest friends. ACKNOWLEDMENTS To God, the giver of all good gifts…thank you for the talent you've invested in me, and for the vehicles through which they have been enhanced. I often say to people that arguably, I have four of the most powerful women in adult education on my committee…I mean this. I have been blessed with the guidance and support of four women whose collective areas of expertise mirror my own interests, and whose commitment to quality and social change are invaluable to me. Real power lies in humility and I thank them for modelling that, and for taking time to engage me critically and intellectually on this journey…couldn’t have asked for a better combination. Thank you, Drs. Ann Brooks, Joellen Coryell, and Mary Alfred. I want to take a moment to single out my dissertation chair, Dr. Jovita Ross- Gordon, for her incredible mentorship and guidance throughout my time at Texas State. I certainly will miss our interactions, but I hope to continue the trend of quality teaching and training you have inspired me with. In addition, I want to thank my support circles – those ‘just like family’ communities I remain a part of: without your encouragement, my energy levels would not have been sustained: F.C.O.B, PSM, Philly, Third Space…other close friends scattered across the globe (I’ll see you soon I hope – I have a little more time now)! To my participants: who could ask for more valuable professional development than that which I’ve received by way of your powerful case narratives? I have learned so much - thank you! To Dr. Dorothy Hurley – a mentor who has inspired my graduate work and my life in countless ways – I’m so honored to know you. Finally, I v want to say a huge thank you to my family at home in Jamaica, and those abroad. What an amazing legacy to be a part of! You are always cheering, encouraging and ‘loving’ me into what is positive and meaningful about this life. I carry you wherever I go, and my writing is just a small part of what you’ve helped me do—my part of the race to make a tiny mark in my corner of the world. I only have one hope (as mom would say), “may all who come behind me, find me faithful.” vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xii LIST OF FIGURES ..........................................................................................................xiii ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTERS I. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY...............................................................................1 Overview of the Problem ............................................................................2 Purpose of the Study and Research Questions ............................................5 Theoretical Perspective ...............................................................................5 Overview of Methods ..................................................................................6 Definition of Terms .....................................................................................8 Defining Difficult Dialogues on Race ...........................................10 Researcher Influences and Assumptions ...................................................10 Significance of the Study ..........................................................................12 For Knowledge Base and Future Research ....................................12 For Policy .......................................................................................13 For Practice ....................................................................................14 Chapter Summary .....................................................................................14 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ..............................................................................16 Introduction ................................................................................................16 Why Classroom Dialogues on Race Still Matter .......................................18 Increasing Racial Diversity ............................................................18 Influential Race Construct .............................................................20 [In]visible Race Talk......................................................................22 Race Talk in America: A Difficulty Rooted in History ............................24 How Language and Jargon Add Complex Dynamics ................................26 Emotions in Teaching and Learning About Race ......................................28 vii Overview of Emotions and Education ...........................................29 Instructors’ Troubling Emotions ....................................................33 Identity in Teaching and Learning About Race .........................................38 Overview of Identity and Education ..............................................38 Instructors’ Identity Tensions ........................................................40 Student Resistance ......................................................................................44 Silent Resistance ...........................................................................47 Verbal and Written Resistance......................................................52 ‘Extracurricular’ Influences ...........................................................58 Approaches to Handling Difficult Race Talk .............................................59 Setting the Stage for Race Talk ....................................................59 Re-Positioning Emotions ..............................................................63 Moving Forward with Nuances in Mind.......................................65 Positionality as a Suitable Theoretical Perspective ....................................67 Defining Positionality Theory........................................................68 Benefits and Challenges of Positionality in Research ...................70 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................73 III. METHODOLOGY Introduction ................................................................................................76 Rationale for Qualitative Case Study Methodology ..................................76 The Qualitative Research Design and Positionality Theory ......................77 Case Study Research ..................................................................................79 Research Sample ........................................................................................82 Participant Criteria .........................................................................83 Sampling Strategy ..........................................................................85 Data Collection ..........................................................................................86 The Semi-Structured Interview ......................................................87 The Critical Incident Reflection.....................................................89 The Analytic Memo .......................................................................90 Data Organization and Management..........................................................91 Data Analysis .............................................................................................92 Coding ............................................................................................92 Thematic and Cross Case Analysis ................................................96 Ethical Considerations ...............................................................................97 Issues of Trustworthiness...........................................................................99 Delimitations ............................................................................................101 Limitations ...............................................................................................101 Chapter Summary ....................................................................................102