“Who Owns Trauma?” Examining Meaning Making, Institutionalization, and Field Development for Trauma-Informed Approaches

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 1:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Applying and Extending Institutional Theory in Educational Research (Table 41)

Abstract

Many schools turn to trauma-informed approaches (TIAs) to support students who have experienced trauma (Goldin et al., 2023). Though they are potentially transformative, TIAs are hard to operationalize (Thomas et al., 2019) and can perpetuate racialized harm (Alvarez, 2020). This ethnographic case study draws on institutional theory and explores how an interdisciplinary working group—convened by the state lieutenant governor—constructs meaning and identifies practices to make the state trauma-informed. Over seven months, the group engages in field development and institutionalization activities for TIAs but does not develop meanings and practices. Though the group does not reduce ambiguity about TIAs in the short-term, its work will likely provide more resources and support to schools in the long-term.

Authors

• Lara Altman, Northwestern University

• Jeannette A. Colyvas, Northwestern University