Love and Meritocracy: Culturally Affirming Care and Cheating at an Urban High School

• In Event: Challenges and Benefits of Culturally and Community-Responsive Education

Abstract

"Authentic care" in schools involves culturally affirming students and critical engagement towards community justice. Meaningful academic engagement happens when teachers leverage critical and culturally affirming components of authentic care. Few studies have looked at schools where authentic care is only partially applied. This paper draws on an ethnography of an urban school where teachers held high academic standards, demonstrated profound cultural affirmation, but promoted meritocratic ideologies devoid of social critique. Students responded with an illusion of diligence – half-hearted and dishonest work completion aimed at satisfying beloved teachers and earning academic credit. Findings suggest the necessity of the critical component of authentic care to engage racially minoritized youth.

Author

• Suneal Kolluri, San Diego State University