Coconstructions of Race and Dis/ability in Inclusive Head Start Classrooms

• In Event: Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Disabiling Concepts of Inclusion and Exclusion

Abstract

I use the DisCrit theoretical framework proposed by Annamma, Connor, and Ferri (2013) to analyze the observations and interviews in nine Head Start classrooms. I focus on the Head Start instructional professionals’ co-constructions of race and dis/ability and how they enact these constructions in their practices. I also explore how participants enable or resist racism and ableism within the context of their inclusive classrooms. Preliminary analyses indicate that three co-constructions emerge; 1) children without any differences in race or ability, 2) children ‘at risk’ with problems to remediate, and 3) children who were better served by special education professionals. With this research, I hope to offer a deeper conceptual foundation and with it, the hope for individual and systemic change.

Author

• Leah Schoenberg Muccio, University of Hawaii at Manoa