O CANADA, WHOSE HOME AND NATIVE LAND? AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO THE CRITICAL ROLE OF CURRICULUM IN IDENTITY AFFIRMATION A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the Department of Curriculum Studies University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Canada By MOMINA A. KHAN Copyright Momina A. Khan, July, 2018. All rights reserved. PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my dissertation work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my dissertation. Requests for permission to copy or to make other uses of materials in this thesis/dissertation in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of Curriculum Studies University of Saskatchewan 28 Campus Drive Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X1 Canada Dean of College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies University of Saskatchewan 116 Thorvaldson Building, 110 Science Place Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9 Canada i Abstract The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) guarantees fundamental freedoms of conscience, religion, thought, belief, and opinion. However, the interpretation of such freedoms, and the extent of accommodation within the context of secular public schools, is not always clear (Shariff, 2006). I am a mother of four children who hold multiple identities, languages, nationalities and beliefs as Canadians. In this autobiographical narrative inquiry fused with poetic representation, I explore my ‘mother stories’ of my children’s experiences with curriculum in schools. Through this research, I examine the critical role of curriculum, implementation of curriculum, and shared curriculum making in affirming the identity of ethnically diverse students. The narratives of my experiences from immigration to citizenship, from multiculturalism to eurocentrism, from parent involvement to parent engagement, and from a racialized mother to a researcher are narratives of “gaps, silences, and exclusions shaped in the bumping places children and families experience in schools” (Clandinin, Huber, J., Huber, M., Murphy, Pearce, Murray-Orr, & Steeves, 2006, p. 173). Our lives are lived, and stories of our lives are told, retold, and relived on storied landscapes (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), landscapes on which larger social, cultural, political, and institutional narratives are simultaneously unfolding (Murphy & Bengezen, 2015). Seeing narrative as a “way of organizing episodes, actions, and accounts of actions” (Sarbin, 1986, p. 9), I engage in constructing “juxtapository narrative” (Bhabha, 2006) and “counter-storytelling” (Solorzano & Yosso, 2002) to challenge dominant stories of curriculum. I aim to sensitize readers – educators, curriculum and policy makers, parents, and community members – to the issues of identity politics and to experiences shrouded in silence in order to deepen individuals’ capacity to respond to the place and voice of people who are different from them (Ellis & Bochner, 2000). Growing up between two cultures and languages, living in in-between spaces, balancing cultural identities and a sense of belonging is a highly complex process for racialized children. Teachers, curriculum makers, and schools all play a fundamental role in shaping students’ identity. Too often, schools are places in which the complex conditions of minority parents’ and children’s lived experiences and their right to be heard are excluded and ignored. Practically, socially and poetically, this inquiry has the potential to positively impact the lives of racialized students, parents, and families by reimagining curriculum in ways that include multiple narratives, identities, realities, perspectives and practices and, thus, a place for their equal rights, voices on this land and in their home, Canada. ii Preface I would like to gratefully acknowledge the previous publication of a version of the following chapters, poems, and images included in my dissertation: Khan, M. (2018). Unpacking self and silence: Looking inward, looking outward, looking through. Art/Research International: A Transdisciplinary Journal, 3(1), 132-154. Khan, M. & Cottrell, M. (2017). Oh Canada, whose home and native land? Negotiating multicultural, Aboriginal, and Canadian identity narratives. Education Matters: The Journal of Teaching and Learning, 5(1). Khan, M. (2017). Poem: A Furnace Room Encounter. Rigorous, 1(4). Khan, M. (2017). Poem: The epitome of a Canadian quilt. Rigorous, 2(1). Khan, M. (2017). Poem: A potato cutlet. In Medias-Res: A Liberal Arts Journal, 22(1), 10. Khan, M. (2017). Poem: Seize possibility not assumption. Education Matters: The Journal of Teaching and Learning, 5(1). Khan, M. (2017). Poem: Daylight nightmare. Rigorous, 2(1). Khan, M. (2016). Poem: Parent and teacher engagement: Co-creating the art of knowing. In Medias-Res, 21(2). 21. Khan, M. (2016, April). From racial to religious discrimination. Community and Impact Images of Research Competition, University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved from: http://research.usask.ca/images-of-research.php In Press: Khan, M. (In press.). Curriculum as planned: Who is affected when difference is marginalized? Journal of Canadian Association of Curriculum Studies. Khan, M. (In press.). Lectio Divina: A call for Salah & Poetic being. Artizein: Arts & Teaching Journal. Khan, M. (In press.). Daylight Nightmare: A Contending Pressure to Defend and Negotiate Canadian- Muslim Identity on the School Landscape. In Curriculum & Pedagogy Group's 10th Edited Collection. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing Inc. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Alhumdullilah! I pay my gratitude to the most magnificent and merciful God (Allah1) who allowed me the vision to see beauty in broken things and strength to pursue unwavering compassion and understanding towards humans, and our universe through my research. My deepest thank you to my doctoral supervisor, Dr. Debbie Pushor, for being an exceptionally gracious guide, caring mentor, and a loving teacher. I could not have done this without you. Your passionate commitment to ‘gentle revolution’ is truly inspiring and it is adding up each day to turn our Canadian and school landscapes into a safe, caring, and inclusive place for all students, parents, and families. Thank you to my committee members, Dr. Terry Wotherspoon, Dr. Michael Cottrell, Dr. Linda Wason-Ellam, and Dr. Hyunjung Shin, for your positive and critical feedback during my comprehensive examination and proposal defense processes. Your continuing questions and suggestions have compelled me to stretch my thinking in productive ways. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my father, Zarif Ahmed, for teaching me how to think critically and creatively, search deeply for the purpose and meaning of life and our existence in it as humans. My mother, Hassena Zarif, the most gentle and selfless soul, who taught me what giving without receiving means. My sister, Mubina, for her patience and unwavering commitment to family relationships and keeping me inspired with her hopeful stories of loyalty and devotion. My brothers, in-laws and friends for their words of encouragement and appreciation for my publications. I am eternally grateful to my wonderful husband, Mohammad Akber Khan, and my beloved children, Irteqa Khan, Hassan Khan, Iman Khan, and Abbas Khan, for their incredible courage to share their stories which made this research possible. I truly appreciate their generous support, encouragement, love, and understanding during the many years I have worked on this doctoral dissertation while simultaneously juggling motherhood. Finally, a special thank you to my talented daughter Irteqa for being my personal poetic inspiration and helping me with proofreading when the thought of searching for typographical errors, or tweaking sentence structure or grammar became unbearable. 1 Allah is the Arabic term used by Muslims to refer to God. iv DEDICATION To all the courageous minority parents and families who leave behind their roots, relationships, and familiarities to make Canada home in hope for a better and equitable life for themselves, their children and families. And especially … to my husband, Mohammad, my daughters, Irteqa and Iman, and my sons, Hassan and Abbas for sharing their experiences, silences and deepest selves Your stories, and generosity made this work possible. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PERMISSION TO USE................................................................................................................. i Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Preface..........................................................................................................................................