A Consequence of Social Stratification

• In Event: Roundtable Session 62
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Leadership, Social Stratification, and Collaborative Pedagogy

Abstract

This small study examines the perspectives of adults who dropped out of high school and were, at the time of data collection, engaged in GED preparation. Asked what had fostered or hindered their learning, the unanticipated theme of ‘bullying’ emerged during the interviews. Importantly, participants felt that teachers played a role in perpetuating social stratification by treating students differentially. The hope of this study is to offer an alternative view as to one reason that bullying continues to be a pervasive problem in public schools and to encourage educators to reflect on their role in the reproduction of social status dynamics so they might take action to ameliorate social stratification.

Author

• Anne Lilla Blanchard, Western Washington University