On Othermothering in Liminal Spaces: An Ethnographic Case Study of Two First-Year Black Female Principals in School Counter-Spaces

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Four
  In Roundtable Session: Telling Our Stories: Critical Examination of School, Family, Community Experiences, and Student Development (Table 12)

Abstract

According to Wane (2000), “othermothers look after children whom they have no blood relations or legal obligation” (p. 105). The principal as othermother in secondary schools has been underexplored and this paper aims to explore the methods utilized by two first-year Black female principals who are self-proclaimed othermothers. Using ethnographic methods including go-alongs, observations and semi-structured interviews, it was found that both women navigate the space using similar techniques aimed at protecting students in ways that enact othermotherhood.

Author

• Kristen Jackson, Stanford University
  Presenting Author