Syracuse University SURFACE Cultural Foundations of Education - Dissertations & Theses School of Education 5-2012 Learning Lessons and Being Schooled: The Relational Lessons of Young Women in an Alternative High School Michelle Renee Maher Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/cfe_etd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Maher, Michelle Renee, "Learning Lessons and Being Schooled: The Relational Lessons of Young Women in an Alternative High School" (2012). Cultural Foundations of Education - Dissertations & Theses. 52. https://surface.syr.edu/cfe_etd/52 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Education at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Cultural Foundations of Education - Dissertations & Theses by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This dissertation is a qualitative investigation of 12 female high school graduates who had previously dropped out or were pushed out of public high school and who attended and graduated from “Conservation High School” (CHS), located in the Pacific Northwest. CHS is an alternative high school organized around an environmental conservation theme. In this study, participants describe how their relationships with peers and teachers in each school affected their commitment to finish school. I analyze participants’ awareness of how power dynamics were communicated to students through social organization, school practices, meaning making systems, constructions of identity, and others’ behavior. The youth interacted with peers and teachers based on their perceptions of their place in the social order of the school, reinforced by hearing such terms as “at-risk,” “dropouts,” “behaviorally-disordered,” and “special education.” I used Foucault’s concept of the self as a product of the disciplinary power of discourse to frame the study of these youth’s experience of being socially and therefore relationally positioned, a phenomenon I named “relational regulation.” In Chapter 4 participants describe how institutionalized practices, such as the management of school space, time, and organization, and informal regulations, such as emotional expression and bodily representations, were managed in their relationships in school. Participants describe the relational possibilities they experienced at CHS in comparison to their public school experiences. Themes were developed from their narratives, including “getting to know you,” “being at each other’s throats,” and “schooling effects.” In Chapter 5, I consider how participants use the discourses of “being fake” and “being real” to inform themselves about the relational terrain. “Being fake” is their term for a deceptive representation of self, while “being real” is their term for an honest one. I show how they use these discourses to resist and also reproduce some of the exclusionary politics they rejected in their public school that were central to their leaving school. In Chapter 6, I look at how the students negotiated the dominant discourse of “hygienic” femininity, while doing conservation work in the muddy outdoors. Last, I address why relational regulation matters and discuss implications for future research. LEARNING LESSONS AND BEING SCHOOLED: THE RELATIONAL LESSONS OF YOUNG WOMEN IN AN ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL by Michelle R. Maher B.A., Mt. St. Mary College, 1990 M.S., Syracuse University, 1993 C.A.S., Syracuse University, 1993 M.S., University of Oregon, 1996 Dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Cultural Foundations of Education Syracuse University May 2012 Copyright © Michelle R. Maher, Ph.D. 2012 All Rights Reserved Acknowledgements Like all intensive projects, this work involved many contributions from numerous people across more than a decade, without which this project would not have been possible or would be less than what it is. First and foremost is my gratitude to the students and staff of Conservation High School and particularly to the young women in the study. I admire these women who left me with their stories of what school could be like, demonstrations of how to use their voices, and an interest in public education as a positive experience. Their contributions encouraged me to look closely at our lives and the place of relationships in school, and I am forever thankful for that experience. For a few it provided a reason to meet after graduation and stay in contact to this day. There are numerous people who always held out their faith in me, my work, my dedication, and my ability to complete this dissertation. Your continued faith kept me patient and encouraged me to be persistent and clear about my purpose. Thank you to those who went the extra mile and communicated their beliefs in the purpose of my project, especially Joyce Dean, Craig Costello, Stacey Maher, Anita Yap, Kimo Shotz, Dr. Jennifer Banister, and Dr. Ednita Wright. Others who held faith in me and have a special place in my heart include Cody Kroeber, M. J. Gillis, Harley Maringola, Mark Harris, Tejal Nanavati-Vallam, Rowena Jackson, Jean Daugherty, Dr. Amy Rees-Turin, Dr. Stella Kerl-McClain, Dennis Williams, Debbie Visser, Alan Stein, Darla Harrison, Jill Philips, Johnny Lake, Talicia Brown, Justine Cooper, Lisa Karmykel, Patricia and Kendra Milligan, Rosalie and Robert Schatzel, Lorraine and Keith Libolt, and Maryann Purdy. Thank you, Mary Beth Hinton, for helping me get through the final editing door. v Of course, my family has been encouraging. I am so happy to be the first person in my family to graduate in this manner and make my Grandma and Grandpa Maher and Jannotti proud. Thank you to my sister, Stacey Maher, who knew what it meant for someone like me to be in higher education and who always reminded me of what matters and what does not. Her respect means so much to me. My Dad, Patrick Maher, was my first inspiration to take school seriously. He did those things parents do to encourage their children to notice the importance of school. I know that young people often overlook that purpose because the conditions of their schools and families are worse than the conditions of mine were, so I am grateful for his support. During 2000–2002 I completed my first dissertation draft. During the end of this time, when I was tired, Craig Costello called me multiple times a week to discuss my goals, keep me on schedule, and hear about what I was doing. During these discussions he confirmed the importance of young people’s experience and supported my efforts to advocate in this fashion for what we both believed in. When I needed to rewrite my introduction, he continued this support. Then, when years passed, he encouraged me to persevere. He never lost faith even when I had. I am so thankful to have been graced by someone with his capacity. Anita Yap, his wife, became my good friend because of this connection and our mutual interest in their son’s future. I love you both. Dawn Martin, Autumn Anderson, Brianna Anderson, and Jasmine Anderson put aside a lot of good times while I was editing. Thank you for understanding, since this was a particular cost to you three as children. Thank you, Dr. Gerald Grant, for helping get me into this process and encouraging me to reassess my decision to leave Cultural vi Foundations of Education. And thank you, all CFE faculty, for what you stand for as critical scholars concerned about the powerful role of education. I admire you all for what you do and stand for. My time at Syracuse University was a fantastic, intensive, and transformative experience. I consider myself so lucky to have found the CFE program. Dr. Joyce Dean served as one of those steadfast friends who always knew I had what it takes, kept me balanced with writing and women’s basketball, and edited my whole dissertation. Kindness is such a powerful force in you. Amy Rees-Turyn gave me reason to step back into academe. Thank you, Dr. Elena Chandler, for your encouragement and comments on my use of discourse analysis in Chapter 5. Thank you, Maryann Barker and Barbara Maphey, for making the paperwork happen and guiding me through the appropriate steps. It is not to be underestimated how important your roles have been to this process. Dr. Rob Pusch, thank you for joining me in a particular kind of nerdiness that makes this kind of work fun. Your inquisitiveness, your ability to motivate and challenge me, and your insightful observations set the stage for my future work. Thank you for being there for me and for being who you are. Thank you, Dr. Joan Burstyn, for living such an amazing life, leaving a legacy that takes into account the big picture, and making a difference. I appreciate your kindness, wisdom, and curiosity. Thank you, Dr. Diane Murphy, for being on my committee, for standing for what you stand for, and for being who you are. I admire you so much. Thank you to Dr. Mara Sepon-Shevin and Dr. Eliza DeKaney, readers in my defense, for your interest, inquisitiveness, and engagement in my work. The discussion vii we all had at my defense was such a compliment, especially because we share such a commitment to the future of inclusive public education. Last and most instrumental was Dr. Sari Knopp Biklen. Thank you, Sari, for having what it takes to model having a conscience for the next generation. Thank you for being my chairperson in this unfamiliar process. In addition, it is a significant compliment to be able to see your vision and