The Role of Schools in Maintaining Systems of Oppression vs the Liberatory Potential of Communities of Care
Mintz, Rachel S.
2022
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To begin, I will explore Western epistemology itself, how it gets privileged in the United States mainstream education system, and the violence that occurs as a result. Western epistemology allows for systems of oppression to reproduce themselves and seem natural. I will then move into challenging the legitimacy of Western epistemology and explore the value of alternate knowledge systems. Here I ... read morewill argue that Western epistemology is inherently dehumanizing and the only path to collective liberation is to abolish the current educational model. Radical futures need to be situated in indigeneity and knowledge produced in resistance to White supremacy. Following this discussion of epistemology, I will explore the meaning of communities of care and the power they have. First, I will talk about my own experiences and then I will include an interview component in my research. Through conversations with five Tufts students, I conduct an in depth exploration of the construction of community in resistance to White supremacy. The interview questions center around identity, the ways in which participants were taught in school how it is possible to make change, and the cultural capital cultivated within communities of care. Because all the participants are current or former Tufts students, the information is situated in the context of Tufts as an institution. The bulk of my paper will center around the interviews and how our conversations relate to and expand upon the previous more theoretical discussion. Overall, this work is a love letter to the communities of care that have been sources of healing, joy, and life for me at Tufts.
Thesis (B.A.)--Tufts University, 2022.
Submitted to the Dept. of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora.read less - ID:
- pc28b0349
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