The Hidden Infrastructure

• In Event: Unveiling the Hidden Infrastructures in Schools: The Role of Race and Place in Reproducing (In)Equity

Abstract

Researchers have referred to the "hidden curriculum" for over fifty years to bring attention to how schools socialize students through unspoken norms, values, and lessons (Jackson, 1968; Bowles & Gintis, 1976; Willis, 1977; Anyon, 1980; Apple, 1982). In particular, these implicit learning experiences are embedded within teacher pedagogy and often reproduce social class inequalities. We build on the idea of the hidden curriculum by considering students' physical environment: the hidden infrastructure. Using an anti-Blackness (Dumas & ross, 2016) framework, we uncover how Black students endure suffering that is linked to disrepair school buildings and unhealthy classroom conditions. We focus on extreme temperatures, bathrooms, and cafeteria food, and uncover how the hidden infrastructure informs Black youths' self-concept and academic potential.

Authors

• Richard Lofton, Johns Hopkins University
  Presenting Author

• Lisa D. Nehring, Johns Hopkins University
  Presenting Author