Interrogating Racialized Discourses in Educator-Focused Study Abroad: An Ecological Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v36i1.771Keywords:
Discourse, ecological framework, Global South, Peru, pre-service teacher education, racialization, study abroadAbstract
I use an ecological approach to analyze a presentation in which four teacher candidates used racialized discourses to describe the indigenous students with whom they worked while studying abroad. I discuss this event and a subsequent interview with two faculty members present at the event, triangulating these data points with program artifacts, interviews with school administrators in the host country, and journal and assignment data from one of the candidates who presented at the event. Findings highlight the importance of viewing racialized discourse as contextualized social practices, as candidate perceptions of their indigenous students were reflected in interviews with school directors, promotional materials from the host university, and host family members. I argue that interlocutors in positions of power, such as teacher educators, must combat their own perceptions of racialized discourses as “ingrained” in White individuals from the United States and pay closer attention to the ideologies and practices these individuals might face while in culturally diverse environments.
Abstract in SpanishUtilizo un enfoque ecológico para analizar una presentación en la que cuatro candidatos a docentes utilizaron discursos racializados para describir a los estudiantes indígenas con quienes trabajaron mientras estudiaban en el extranjero. Hablo de este evento y de una entrevista posterior con dos miembros del profesorado presentes en el evento, triangulando estos datos con artefactos del programa, entrevistas con administradores escolares en el país anfitrión y datos de diarios y tareas de uno de los candidatos que se presentaron en el evento. Los hallazgos resaltan la importancia de ver el discurso racializado como prácticas sociales contextualizadas, ya que las percepciones de los candidatos sobre sus estudiantes indígenas se reflejaron en entrevistas con directores de escuelas del país anfitrión, materiales promocionales de la universidad anfitriona y miembros de la familia anfitriona. Sostengo que los interlocutores en posiciones de poder, como los formadores de docentes, deben combatir sus propias percepciones de los discursos racializados como “arraigados” en individuos blancos de los Estados Unidos y prestar más atención a las ideologías y prácticas que estos individuos podrían enfrentar en ambientes culturalmente diversos.
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