Dismantling Echoes of the Colonial Mindset in Schooling Post-Pregnancy: A Photovoice Study With Pregnant/Mothering Students

• In Event: Actionizing Change With Photo and STEM Narratives From Africa and the Caribbean

Abstract

This analysis is part of a more extensive mixed-methods participatory-social justice (MMP/SJ) design research that examines the experiences of pregnant learners and student mothers in Mangochi, Malawi. In this paper, I juxtapose the articulations of the Malawi re-admission policy with the experiences of 10 Malawian pregnant/mothering students who participated in the photovoice phase of the study to address discriminatory practices that push pregnant and mothering learners out of the school system. Theoretically, I draw from African feminist theory and critical liberatory pedagogy to challenge colonial logics and hegemonic modes of school operations in African contexts and the African diaspora with recognition of gender, racial and cultural differences as well as unequal power dynamics affecting schooling post-pregnancy.

Author

• Pempho Chinkondenji, University of North Dakota