Competing Cultural Narratives
Gender and the Representation of US K–12 Teachers in Contemporary School Reform Policies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12912844 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Katie Kerstetter (0000-0001-7203-8284, George Mason University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages | 550-557 |
| Publication date | 2015-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociology Compass (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1751-9020 • E-ISSN: 1751-9020 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/soc4.12283 |
| OpenAlex | W1560890389 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 16 |
Cultural narratives about the proper scope and focus of teaching are embedded in contemporary school reform policies. This review examines literature related to two competing cultural narratives about US primary and secondary teachers: that “good teachers” are autonomous saviors, defined by their abilities to act independently and against great odds to improve academic outcomes for low‐income and minority students, and that “good teachers” are disempowered technicians who follow the guidance of externally‐recognized experts in their efforts to reduce educational inequalities. A review of literature critiquing these narratives finds that scholars have often analyzed these narratives using theoretical frameworks associated with race, class, and/or neoliberalism. This review examines what historians of education and feminist scholars can contribute to a critical analysis of the representation of US teachers in political speech and popular culture. It demonstrates that gender, as part of an intersectional approach, is important to understanding how White middle‐class women teachers can be positioned simultaneously as “autonomous saviors” and as “disempowered technicians” and how these narratives influence the professional status and autonomy associated with the work of teaching
Argument (complex analysis · Autonomy · Class (philosophy · Epistemology · Narrative · Neoliberalism (international relations · Odds · Pedagogy · Political science · Politics · Representation (politics · Scope (computer science · Social science · Sociology · Critical Race Theory in Education · Gender Studies · Historical Education Studies Worldwide · Law · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
Schooling and work in the democratic state
Teaching under the new Taylorism
Pricing the priceless child
The Persistence of Whiteness
Black Feminist Thought
Domestic Ideology, School Reformers, and Female Teachers
The White Savior Film and Reviewers' Reception
Teachers in the 'Hood
Preschool Education in America
School Work
Urban Reform and the Schools
Screen Saviors
From Max Weber
| Citations per year | 0.17 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2020 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |