The Radical Utilization of Ethnic Studies to Promote Healing and Wellness

• In Event: 43.077 - MTCC Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: 43.077-2 - Critical Praxis, Intersectionality, and Truth-Telling in Secondary and Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Objective

Research among school districts across the nation have revealed that ethnic studies in K-12 educational settings can tremendously improve academic achievement for students, especially among low-income, underserved students of color (Cabrera, Milem, Jaquette, & Marx, 2014; Dee & Penner, 2016; Tintiangco-Cubales et al., 2015). However, what is lacking from this literature is how ethnic studies holds great promise for improving the psychological well-being for students as demonstrated in recent social psychological literature (Aoyagi, Santos, & Updegraff, 2018; Carter, Seaton, & Rivas-Drake, 2017). Given today’s socio-political climate, schools must be able to address the mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of students, especially among minoritized students who witness microaggressions (Solórzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000) that dehumanize their very being. Thus, we ask: How do Ethnic Studies teachers co-construct curriculum that addresses the trauma students and communities face in their lived realities?

Framework

We utilize a radical healing justice framework that recognizes the following: 1) fostering social justice can provide healing, hope, and well-being; 2) oppression and injustice causes great mental, emotional, physical and spiritual harm; and 3) transformation occurs by restoring oppressed communities (Ginwright, 2016). Hope, imagination and care intertwine within radical healing in order to confront community issues.

Methodology

In this work, we have utilized a critical, culturally-rooted method that centers Testimonio pedagogy (Reyes & Curry Rodríguez, 2012) with the goal of healing and wellness. Testimonio pedagogy empowers participants to engage in liberationist pedagogy by naming oppression through storytelling.

Data Collection/Analysis

Data collection included four semi-structured focused group interviews and 21 semi-structured individual interviews. Inductive analysis and the constant comparative method were utilized to systematically code data, develop categories, and address issues of connectedness (Huberman & Miles, 1998).

Findings
One key theme that emerged from the data was how teachers of ethnic studies utilized alternative models of healing in their classroom. For example, several teachers incorporated Native American healing practices such as smudging in order to cleanse spirits and engage in meditation. Another key theme that developed was how teachers used “funds of knowledge” (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992) in order to build on traditional forms of healing students’ families and communities incorporated to further wellness and well-being. Lastly, one of the key successes of these teachers was being able to address trauma students faced in the community by employing their curriculum to discuss historical trauma, racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression.

Significance
The current climate of school shootings (Metzl & MacLeish, 2015), immigration raids (Lopez et al., 2017), extrajudicial killings (Lim, 2017), and the criminalization of the black/brown body has strong implications for heightened youth traumatization (Liegghio et al., 2017). Now, more than ever, teachers must utilize their classroom pedagogy to help students navigate and persevere through these dire circumstances and promote student wellness and healing.

Authors

• Shiv Raj Desai, University of New Mexico

• Andrea Abeita, University of New Mexico

• Myrella R Gonzalez, The University of New Mexico