Decolonizing Care: Working Toward a Theory of "Cariño Crítico"

• In Event: Roundtable Session 57
  In Roundtable Session: The Politics of Punishment and Care

Abstract

Using a decolonial framework, this theoretical paper examines the notion of care in the context of student-teacher interactions. I draw on coloniality of power (Quijano, 2000) and colonizing knowledges (Smith, 2012) to argue that our current understanding of care is centered on Eurocentric notions that contribute to the colonial project. Thus, it is necessary to situate caring relationships within the existing asymmetrical arrangements of power that privileges some groups over others. The purpose, then, is to re-conceptualize care (Nodding, 2013; Valenzuela, 1999) by situating the discussion within a power-centered analysis. I propose a student-centered framework that I call Cariño Crítico, which embodies an interconnected process of love and intimacy prior to the promotion of respect and connectedness.

Author

• Rosalinda Godinez, University of California - Berkeley