“For whom is this divisive?” : the persistence of whiteness in the adoption of NC American history standards
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Mary Margaret Mills-Thomason (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Tiffanie Lewis-Durham
Abstract: In 2020, as the nation experienced a racial reckoning, the North Carolina State Board of Education was in the process of adopting new social studies standards. The racial reckoning constituted a policy window to advocate for standards that better included marginalized experiences. In response, conservative lawmakers engaged in a political spectacle that advocated to remove language such as “systemic racism” from the standards and mirrored language from President Trump’s 1776 Commission. The back-and-forth process of the standards adoption resulted in a more inclusive final version of the standards than the earliest draft. However, the adopted standards are less inclusive than other drafts and ultimately maintain whiteness. In this dissertation, I explore the adoption and implementation of high school American History standards in North Carolina using a Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Policy Analysis, with a specific focus on maintenance of whiteness. I find that the adoption of more inclusive standards demonstrates the effectiveness of utilizing the opportunities from a policy window, even when the new policy is challenged by a political spectacle. In my study, I highlight the importance of understanding the relationship between standards, curriculum, and instruction, as teachers play a significant role in interpreting and implementing standards. Recommendations include supporting teachers through comprehensive training on racial literacy and ongoing professional development, as well as preparing for and limiting policy windows that may further restrict the teaching of inclusive history and uphold whiteness.
“For whom is this divisive?” : the persistence of whiteness in the adoption of NC American history standards
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Created on 12/1/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2023
- Keywords
- American History, Critical policy analysis, North Carolina, Standards
- Subjects
- History $x Study and teaching (Secondary) $x Standards $z North Carolina
- Social sciences $x Study and teaching (Secondary) $x Standards $z North Carolina
- Racism in education $z North Carolina