Influence of Deficit Ideology on Possibilities for Reciprocal Dialogue Between Students of Color and Educational Leaders

• In Event: The Intersection of Student Voice and Educational Leadership: Opportunities and Obstacles

Abstract

Objectives:
This paper explores the role of deficit ideology in impeding possibilities for reciprocal dialogue between educational decision makers and Students of Color. This area of research is important in light of the potential of such dialogue to help decision makers better address manifestations of systemic racism in education, such as inequitable access to college preparatory courses (Fanelli, Bertrand, Rogers, Medina, & Freelon, 2010). Though Students of Color can provide insights into these issues, educational decision makers often view these students through deficit lenses (Briscoe & De Oliver, 2012). This paper examines the mechanisms by which deficit discourse hinders reciprocal dialogue between decision makers and Students of Color.
Context, Methods, and Data:
The paper presents findings from a study of a group of youth and adults called Young Critical Scholars, which engages in collective research and advocacy. YCS includes Black and Latina/o high school students, along with a racially diverse group of adults. YCS students regularly present findings and advocate for more equitable schooling. A range of decision makers attend YCS presentations, including school administrators, district administrators, and teachers.
Data on YCS, and the decision makers who attended their presentations, were collected in the spring of 2010 and the 2010-2011 school year. In addition to 26 audio and video recordings and 64 field notes, interviews were conducted with 46 individuals. This study draws mainly upon a subset of the data, a total of 43 interviews with 34 educational decision makers who attended presentations. I employed a combination of Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 2003) and qualitative methods to analyze the data, entailing two coding cycles and an analysis of implicit and explicit discursive meanings.
Theoretical Framework:
Guiding the study is Cultural Historical Activity Theory, which indicates that reciprocal dialogue can result in collective learning when interlocutors create a shared form of communication (Gutiérrez, 2008; Gutiérrez, Rymes, & Larson, 1995). For this study, the potential of reciprocal dialogue lies in the possibilities for educational decision makers and Students of Color to co-create innovative ideas that address manifestations of systemic racism in education. This study explores the preconditions for reciprocal dialogue to unfold.
Results:
I found that many decision makers expressed surprise at the YCS students’ achievements or motivation instead of responding to the content of their presentations. This surprise framed the YCS students as exceptions and pointed to an underlying deficit ideology revealed by the decision makers’ low expectations for the students. Though only one decision maker explicitly expressed deficit ideology about Students of Color, it is likely that such racial ideology played a role in the decision makers’ responses, considering other research (Briscoe & De Oliver, 2012).
Significance:
This study sheds light on the ways that surprise can index deficit ideology and inhibit reciprocal dialogue between decision makers and Students of Color. The study has two implications: 1) A focus of professional development should be decision makers’ capacity to engage in reciprocal dialogue with Students of Color, and 2) Further research is needed to better understand how to foster this capacity.

Author

• Melanie Bertrand, Arizona State University