An examination of families and schools in South Africa, revealing how the marketisation of schooling works to uphold the privilege of whiteness.

Education is a controversial subject in which difficult and contested discourses are the norm. Individuals in education experience multiple inequalities and have diverse identifications that cannot necessarily be captured by one theoretical perspective alone. This edited collection draws on empirical and theoretical research to examine the intersections of "race," gender and class, alongside other aspects of personhood, within education. Contributors from the fields of education and sociology seek to locate the dimensions of difference and identity within recent theoretical discourses such as Critical Race Theory, Judith Butler and ‘queer’ theory, post-structural approaches and multicultural models, as they analyze whiteness and the education experience of minority ethnic groups. By combining a mix of intellectually rigorous, accessible, and controversial chapters, this book presents a distinctive and engaging voice, one that seeks to broaden the understanding of education research beyond the confines of the education sphere into an arena of sociological and cultural discourse.

Race and Culturally Responsive Inquiry in Education examines how assumptions about race and culture have shaped US education research and the interpretation and implementation of its results. This ambitious volume sheds light on the detrimental effects of educational praxis and policies that have characterized communities of color and historically underserved communities as deficient. It reveals how such bias has affected many facets of educational inquiry, from research design and planning to education policy making and evaluation practices. The provocative essays in this work challenge traditional suppositions about whose evidence matters, highlighting approaches for reframing educational inquiry and arguing for the adoption of a culturally responsive stance that can correct inequities by accounting for students’ diverse backgrounds and needs. Edited by Stafford L. Hood, Henry T. Frierson, Rodney K. Hopson, and Keena N. Arbuthnot and featuring contributions from leading and emerging scholars, the collection is organized around three key areas—education research, educational assessment, and program evaluation. The contributors identify provocative problems that exist at the intersection of race and education in these areas, and they illuminate the many ways in which education reform can address intersectionality. Calling for effective action, they suggest compelling solutions for consideration by policy makers and practitioners as well as researchers. Together, the essays in this volume make the case that culturally responsive methods that deepen our understanding of educational disparities, appropriately measure what students know and can do, and ensure that we have accurate information about the effectiveness of educational interventions can improve educational outcomes for diverse learners.

This important volume brings together key writings from one of the most influential education scholars of our time. In this collection of her seminal essays on critical race theory (CRT), Gloria Ladson-Billings seeks to clear up some of the confusion and misconceptions that education researchers have around race and inequality. Beginning with her groundbreaking work with William Tate in the mid-1990s up to the present day, this book discloses both a personal and intellectual history of CRT in education. The essays are divided into three areas: Critical Race Theory, Issues of Inequality, and Epistemology and Methodologies. Ladson-Billings ends with a postscript that looks back at her journey and considers what is on the horizon for other scholars of education. Having these widely cited essays in one volume will be invaluable to everyone interested in understanding how inequality operates in our society and how race affects educational outcomes. Featured Essays: 1. Toward a Critical Race Theory of Education with William F. Tate IV 2. Critical Race Theory: What It Is Not! 3. From the Achievement Gap to the Education Debt: Understanding Inequality in U.S. Schools 4. Through a Glass Darkly: The Persistence of Race in Education Research and Scholarship 5. New Directions in Multicultural Education: Complexities, Boundaries, and Critical Race Theory 6. Landing on the Wrong Note: The Price We Paid for Brown 7. Racialized Discourses and Ethnic Epistemologies 8. Critical Race Theory and the Post-Racial Imaginary with Jamel K. Donner