The California Ethnic Studies Mandate and Theories of Social Reproduction and Change

• In Event: Attitudes and Politics of Race Through a Bourdieusian Lens

Abstract

In two years, California high school freshmen will be required to take an Ethnic Studies class before graduation. The addition of Ethnic Studies represents a significant change in high school curriculum. While scholars have argued that schools are poor mechanisms to address injustice, the discipline of Ethnic Studies was founded explicitly to advance racial justice. Leveraging Pierre Bourdieu's Theory of Practice and Derrick Bell's notion of interest convergence, this study analyzes publicly available documents about the policy and its implementation to consider how the policy might impact racial justice in California. Ultimately, I argue that the addition of Ethnic Studies redefines valued knowledge in schools, but the dominant class will fight to implement Ethnic Studies in ways that maintain White dominance.

Author

• Suneal H. Kolluri, University of California - Riverside