Global South Onto-Epistemologies in Teacher Education: Creating Possibilities for Activism

• In Event: Student and Scholar Activism: Reciprocal Mentoring for Social Justice

Abstract

Global south onto-epistemologies, such as Black and Chicana feminisms (Anzaldúa, 1987; Collins, 2008), remain marginalized in teacher education. In an effort to shift this global north dominance, our aim in this paper is to illustrate how centering global south perspectives in teacher education is an important site of action. Black and Chicana feminisms are global south, decolonial perspectives that deviate and stem from subaltern spaces and bodies. While each is unique, both are theorized through lived experiences of women of color and examine the complexities of power, identity and empowerment (Anzaldúa, 1987; Collins, 2008). Embracing Black and Chicana feminisms in teacher education not only challenges white, eurocentric, and neoliberal conceptualizations of education, but also moves both teacher educators and students in more social justice, action-oriented directions.
To examine the process of centering global south epistemologies in our approaches to teacher education, we engage in pláticas as a Chicana/Latina feminist methodology (Author, 2014; Fierros & Delgado Bernal, 2016; Gonzalez, 2001). Through pláticas, we honor the meaning making that transpires in everyday and mundane conversations and exchanges between teacher/students and colegas that yield conocimiento (Anzaldúa, 2002; Trinidad Galván, 2001). Conocimiento is “consciousness work—[it] connects the inner life of the mind and spirit to the outer work of action” (Anzaldúa, 2000, p. 178). Through conocimiento and pláticas, we provide snapshots and memories from our work and roles as teacher educators of color. We theorize our stories of creating syllabi, engaging in class discussions and our approaches to content that centers global south onto-epistemologies.
In this process, we have found multiple points of student action, such as shifts in their worldviews and perspectives about the role of teachers as activists. Additionally, upon reflection of our pedagogy as teacher educators, we have found that global south perspectives have allowed us to engage in our own activism in myriad ways, even those that have not traditionally been viewed as activist, such as through course development, learning from/with our students, and critical self-reflection. As Anzaldúa (1987) proclaims to change oneself is to change the world.
The recentering of global south perspectives in teacher education changes how we approach our course development, pedagogy, and engagements with students. Global south onto-epistemologies give promise to not only shift students’ worldviews, but also to incite action in/with communities and care/school settings. This has great implications for challenging how we conceptualize teacher education.

Authors

• Michelle Salazar Perez, New Mexico State University

• Cinthya M. Saavedra, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley