“Maybe I’m Disruptive, But I’m Not Disrespectful!”: The Student View of (Dis)Respect

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Abstract

Scholars have argued that inner-city youth suffer from a defunct form of respect viewed as “street cred,” and are prone to disrespectful behavior. This research mistakenly connects the campaign for respect to an entrenched oppositional culture that rejects schooling and authority. Existing studies on inner-city youths’ search for respect take place outside of the classroom, however, it is essential to incorporate observation of classroom dynamics in order to explain how disrespectful interactions between teachers and students spark conflict, fuel contrary behavior and affect student engagement. Using 400 hours of participant observation and 50 interviews at an inner-city, public middle school, I find contrary to established research, students’ views do align with the dominant discourse of (dis)respect. As the data suggests, student-teacher conflict in the classroom does not arise from students’ oppositional attitude to education or authority, or a warped sense of respect, but occurs as a reaction to feeling disrespected and shamed by their teachers. In response, students use a “reprisal process” as a strategy to protect their identities, “save face” and retain the respect of their peers. The results confirm that (dis)respect is co-produced within the institutional context of schools and is damaging to the student-teacher relationship.

Author

• Heidi L. Schneider, Adams State University