The Importance and Practice of for Queer Educators in Catholic Schools

• In Event: 61.038 - Queerness and the Catholic Educational Mission: Untold Stories

Abstract

The Importance and Practice of for Queer Educators in Catholic Schools
There is a dearth of education and psychology research addressing the self-care of Queer educators in Catholic schooling. Although psychologists have contributed to our understanding of how positive emotions and flexible cognition enhance resiliency (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000), their research has failed to help us understand how Queer individuals manage to self-care and remain resilient within educational systems that are ruled by heterosexist principles. The need for research, literature, and academic presentations on this topic are critical because Queer educators may frequently experience negative emotions or crises within an academic community that often privileges heterosexual and cisgender individuals. Thus, in this panel presentation, the researcher will address how Queer educators can use self-reflection, build shame-resilience, and tap into relational resources (e.g., families of choice) to cope with adversity experienced in Catholic schools. The objective of this presentation is to propose a culturally-responsive self-care framework that is mindful of the heteronormative and cisnormative context that often structures Catholic educational institutions.
This paper draws upon the LGBTQ Relationally Based Positive Psychology Framework (Dominguez, Bobele, Coppock & Pena, 2015) and Shame Resilience Theory (Brown, 2006) to provide an overview of a self-care framework that focuses on: 1) the elicitation of Queer educators’ strengths and capabilities through self-reflection, 2) taps into how they can manage to cultivate shame resilience by developing a sense of worth and practicing authenticity (Brown, 2006), 3) and emphasizes the importance of building community among Queer educators. The presentation will first focus on the elicitation of strengths and capabilities by asking Queer educators the following question: “What has helped you succeed/move forward in Catholic Schools in the midst of difficult challenges?” This question can help us explore the underlying strengths, capabilities, and resources that have helped Queer educators succeed or thrive in the face of hardship. Subsequently, the presentation will validate and normalize how at different points, even when possessing strengths and capabilities, Queer educators may experience shame in Catholic institutions given the dominant social discourses that seek to discredit their Queer identity/ies. Then we will discuss how Queer educators can build shame resilience by connecting with their authentic selves. Lastly, this presentation will discuss the importance of “building community” with other Queer educators as a “self-care tool.” As Connolly (2006) best put it, Queer folks (in this case Queer educators in Catholic schools) can create a “united front” and engage in processes of mutuality that helps them survive external stressors together (p. 151); these stressors may include homophobia, heterosexism, sexual prejudice, and transphobia.

This paper is significant because it promotes the idea that through the use of self-care in response to oppressive forces within Catholic schooling, Queer educators can develop flexibility in their identities, a strong sense of self, shame-resilience, and build community relationships with other Queer educators that may lead to increased satisfaction in Catholic educational institutions.

Author

• Daniela Dominguez, University of San Francisco