Nurturing Is Not Enough: A Case Study on Social Justice, Caring, and Discipline. Issue 2 (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Smith, Darrick; Yeh, Christine J.
• Is Part Of: Journal of education. Volume 199:Issue 2(2019)
• Page Start: 89
• Page End: 98
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: disciplinary learning -- equity -- social justice -- policy -- educational studies; Education -- Periodicals; Education -- New England -- Periodicals; Education; New England; Periodicals; 370.5
• DOI: 10.1177/0022057419848369
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0574

Abstract

We explore the dynamics of nurturing, caring, and enabling in a social justice school and how a problematic context of educational enabling can develop when notions of nurturing are not balanced with consistent disciplinary consequences. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight school staff, teachers, and a student at a social justice urban school. Observational data and institutional documents were also analyzed, and three main themes emerged revealing the tension between nurturing and enabling: (a) sentimentalist standards, (b) perceptions of authority as oppressive, and (c) contradictions in social justice values. We discuss implications for school policy, multicultural education, and school leadership.