“The Police Don’t Keep People Safe”: The Abolitionist Becoming of Latina Preservice Teachers (Poster 28)

• In Event: AERA Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research
  In Invited Poster Session: AERA Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research Poster Session

Abstract

Although abolition has recently gained greater attention in educational research, particularly in teacher education, there is a lack of empirical studies examining how pre-service teachers understand and engage with prison and police abolition. This qualitative study addresses this need by exploring the "abolitionist becoming" of Latina pre-service teachers in relation to police abolition. Using Abolitionist Journey Maps and in-depth interviews with eight Latina pre-service teachers, the study illustrates how negative interactions with police during their PreK-12 schooling shaped their perspectives and commitment to police abolition. The findings highlight the need for teacher education programs to foster abolitionist perspectives by drawing on pre-service teachers' lived experiences with police to center a critical exploration of prison and police abolition within educational contexts.

Author

• Rubén A. González, University at Buffalo - SUNY