Anti-Oppressive Social Studies: A Literature Review

• In Event: Social Identities and Power Relationships in Social Studies Education

Abstract

This literature review draws on Kumashiro’s (2000) anti-oppressive education typology to map the current terrain of empirical research in anti-oppressive P-12 social studies. I find that, while what Kumashiro calls “Education for the Other” and “Education about the Other” have been thoughtfully explored, “Education Critical of Privileging and Othering” and “Education that Changes Schools and Society” have yet to be widely investigated in P-12 classroom practice. Further, I find that across approaches, anti-oppressive social studies researchers have paid more attention to curricular content than to instructional methods, and that few studies have investigated the enacted curriculum. Future research should respond to these gaps, to better support teachers in engaging in meaningful and effective anti-oppressive classroom instruction.

Author

• Lisa Ann Sibbett, University of Washington - Seattle