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APRIL 20013“Posts” Perspectives on Anti-Oppressive Education in Social Studies, English, Mathematics, and Science Classroomsby Kevin K. Kumashirosurprising, given that writings within poststructuralist traditionsoften trouble language as a way to trouble knowledge (re)pro-duction (Ellsworth, 1997), and often refuse to name concretepractices as “strategies that work” (Kumashiro, 1999a). Nonethe-less, anti-oppressive educational research has produced and con-tinues to produce a wealth of cultural and conceptual resourcesfor educators to use in rethinking their practices and imaginingforms of anti-oppressive education that have, until now, beenunexplored. The “posts” writings, in particular, offer insightfulways to complicate many approaches to challenging oppressionthat have already gained popularity among educators committedto change.In this article, I address the question, “What could it mean foreducators within the ‘core disciplines’ to teach in anti-oppressiveways?” While drawing on insights from a range of critical, mul-ticultural, feminist, and queer perspectives on anti-oppressive ed-ucation, I focus primarily on the “posts” writings as I suggest spe-cific implications for social studies, English, mathematics, andscience classrooms. In particular, I explore the usefulness of twomain theoretical constructs from the “posts” writings: unknow-ability, multiplicity, and looking beyond the known; and resis-tance, crisis, and resignifying the self. Implications for teacher ed-ucation conclude this article. Given the scope of this analysis andthe limitations of space, my discussions of the implications ofeach theoretical construct for each of the different disciplines arenecessarily brief, but I believe they will demonstrate the useful-ness of “posts” perspectives to teachers and teacher educators, aswell as areas where further research is needed.I should note, as problematic as is expecting that oppressiondoes not play out in our classrooms is expecting that we nowknow the effective way to change it. There is no panacea, andeven my explorations in this article need to be treated as toolsthat, while changing our practices, must themselves be con-stantly reworked. Most notable is perhaps my terminology. I usethe term “Other” to refer to those groups that are traditionallymarginalized in society, that is, that are other than the norm. Ibelieve my analysis extends to many different groups in society,but I illustrate Otherness primarily with groups targeted byracism, classism, sexism, and heterosexism. I use the term “queer”to refer to people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, in-tersexual, questioning, or in other ways “queer” because of theirsexual identity or sexual orientation. I agree that the appropria-tion of “queer” by many GLBTIQs signifies a rejection of nor-mative sexualities and genders and an act of political significanceWhat could it mean for educators within the “core disciplines” toteach in ways that challenge multiple forms of oppression? This articleexplores the implications of various “posts” perspectives on anti-oppressive education—especially poststructuralist perspectives—for social studies, English, mathematics, and science classrooms. Theauthor focuses on two main theoretical constructs: unknowability,multiplicity, and looking beyond the known; and resistance, crisis,and resignifying the self. Implications for teacher education concludethe article.Educational researchers have shed much light on the multipleand contradictory ways different forms of oppression (such asracism, classism, sexism, and heterosexism) play out in schools,as well as on the various approaches that educators can use towork against oppression (see Kumashiro, 2000b, for a summaryof these approaches). While such insights are helpful for think-ing differently about the nature and dynamics of schooling, theydo not always lead to changes in practice. In my experiences work-ing with student teachers and practicing teachers in K–12 schools,I commonly hear complaints that research and theory on anti-oppressive education (or, education that works against oppres-sion) are difficult to translate into practice, especially the “posts”(such as postmodernist, poststructuralist, and postcolonialist) re-search and theories. I also hear complaints that their priority asteachers is to teach their subjects, to meet the required standardswithin the “core disciplines,” and that the task of changing op-pression should not fall on them (Kumashiro, 2000a). Researchershave noted similar complaints within the educational researchcommunity, such as complaints that “reconceptualist” curricu-lum theorizing is “totally irrelevant to practice” (Wright, 2000)or that researchers should engage in research, not activism forsocial justice (Berliner, 1997).Clearly, committing to and engaging in anti-oppressive educa-tion is an uphill battle for researchers in higher education and prac-titioners in K–12 schools. Even if we acknowledge that research isalways political or always has political effects (Richardson, 1997),and even if we commit to addressing the oppressions that are al-ways and already playing out in schools, what remains is the ar-duous task of re-thinking our practices based on writings that areoften difficult to understand and implement. This should not beEducational Researcher, Vol. 30. No. 3, pp. 3–129975-03/Kumashiro (p3-12) 3/26/01 14:27 Page 3EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER4(Capper, 1999; Tierney & Dilley, 1998), although I acknowl-edge that the term continues to invoke a history of bigotry andhatred, even among GLBTIQs. Furthermore, while the term“queer” can highlight the interrelationship among sex, gender,and sexuality (Butler, 1993) and even race (Kumashiro, in press),it can also erase gender differences (Wieringa & Blackwood,1999) and racial differences (Rosales, 1999). I say this not to dis-miss these limitations, but rather to make explicit that every prac-tice makes some changes possible, and others, impossible; theywork against some forms of oppression and lie complicit withothers. My goal is not to name strategies that work (for all stu-dents, in all situations, against all oppressions), but rather, to em-phasize the partiality of any approach to challenging oppression,and the need to constantly rework these approaches. Unknowability, Multiplicity, and Looking Beyond the KnownThe “Problem” of PartialityAll


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