White racial identity development in transitional space : discourse and praxis among Christian teacher educators

Abstract

This research examines two questions: 1) What stories do Christian teacher educators tell about their own White racial identity development? and 2) Is there an impact of studying White racial identity development on the praxis of Christian teacher educators? If so, in what ways? The researcher began the project with a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework, based on literature from the fields of counseling, sociology and religion, and teacher education. Eight members of a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) department participated in readings, focus groups, and discussions about White racial identity development. Responses were analyzed using situational analysis, a postmodern form of grounded theory. The researcher linked responses with postmodern literature regarding Whiteness studies, discourse, identity, and emotions. The researcher saw herself and participants in transitional space throughout the research process: the researcher in transition from CRT to poststructural feminisms and the participants as they wrestled within ambiguous moments regarding race. The research raised questions about the psychological approach to Whiteness and about the dangers of critical pedagogy. It points towards working to disrupt systems of oppression and forming interracial alliances to actively promote social justice.