Through laughter and through tears: emotional narratives to antiracist pedagogy

Abstract

If as a collective society we desire to challenge oppression as it exists, we must individually commit to learning about race, in all its facets, and racism as an institution at an emotional level. Although there are many ways to accomplish these ends, antiracist pedagogy -as antioppressive education -is an effective method to do so through its focus on the intersections of race. This study shares how participants in a higher education classroom emotionally experienced studying race and racism. Using a narrative inquiry hybrid, results of this inquiry include how emotions are at the core of such learning, particularly because they can be racially segregated and relationally complex. The lack of research about the relationship between racism and emotions is felt acutely in higher education classrooms, so this study contributes to our understandings of antioppressive pedagogy in such classrooms. Since the overall goal of antiracist pedagogy is antiracist change and classroom emotions are an impending result, the dilemma of focusing on emotions persists. Subsequent implications for antiracist pedagogy specifically, and antioppressive pedagogies broadly, include explicitly addressing the emotionality of antiracism as an ongoing praxis.

ART Praxis: Evidence-Based Strategies for Antiracist Teaching in Nursing

“…The importance of reflection as a teaching and learning strategy was a recurrent theme across disciplines. Reflection helps learners slow down (Inoue, 2020) and critically interrogate emotions (Grosland, 2013, 2019; Matias et al, 2017; Matias & Mackey, 2016; Seidl & Hancock, 2011) so that learning can occur (Ryan-Bryant, 2018). Emotions and affective experiences of discussing racism can lead to resistance and retreat (Diggles, 2014; Blackwell, 2010; Estrada & Matthews, 2016; Thorsteinson, 2018) or increased levels of critical consciousness (Estrada & Matthews, 2016).…”

“…Reflection papers allow students to grapple with personal awareness of racism on both individual and institutional levels (Pieterse, 2009) and draw out race-based contradictions such as the myth of meritocracy (Boatright-Horowitz et al, 2012; Estrada & Matthews, 2016; Teel, 2014). Reflections can be verbal or written (Grosland, 2019) in the form of blogs (Ohito, 2016), done by individuals or pairs (Davis, 2016), and be prompted by experiences such as those discussed above or around current events (Ryan-Bryant, 2018). Reflections can also be done in class as free-flowing stream of consciousness activities, anonymous and ungraded to promote candor and disclosure (Ambrosio, 2014), or they can be done out of class.…”

La prévention des préjugés flagrants et voilés perçue par les élèves : lorsque les enseignant·e·s ont leur mot à dire

“…Aux États-Unis, un courant de recherches sur les dispositifs de prévention des préjugés racistes chez les jeunes s'est inspiré de la « théorie critique de la race », selon laquelle le désavantage social des noir•e•s persisterait à cause d'une structure sociale où les catégories raciales sont organisées de manière hiérarchique (Bell, 1992). Par exemple, l'étude de Grosland (2019) a impliqué plusieurs classes de lycée dans un protocole prévoyant des storytellings pour renforcer le sentiment d'empathie des élèves par rapport à des situations en lien avec le racisme et les discriminations. Les résultats montrent que les jeunes qui ont assisté aux narrations faisaient preuve d'attitudes d'ouverture et d'un esprit critique plus accentués.…”

Jokering Bodies

“…Facilitating topics through the lens of justice can render emotions invisible or visible. Sometimes ongoing emotions become embodied (Grosland, 2019;Wallace, 2010). Via theatre and other creative practices, emotionladen journeys can be therapeutic in searching for justice-oriented ways to lead in the stress-inducing context of education where electronic surveillance is ever-increasing (Wallace, 2010).…”