Building a Spatial Theory of Justice in Education

• In Event: 46.085 - Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: 46.085-4 - Community Ownership in School Spaces

Abstract

Contemporary education reform has failed to bring about substantial change in educational outcomes of students from urban communities. One reason for this failure, I argue, has been the neglect of acknowledging the spatial aspects of education inequality and injustice. It is crucial for reformers to address the role of spatialization in the maintenance and manifestation of injustice in education. This conceptual paper seeks to build a spatial theory of justice in education reform. Employing a critical spatial perspectives means acknowledging our geographies as both producers and products in the inequities and injustices of our lives. Thinking spatially about justice can uncover new insights that extend our practical knowledge into more effective actions to achieve greater justice and equality in education.

Author

• DeMarcus Antonio Jenkins, University of California - Los Angeles