Christmas in U.S. K-12 schools: categorizing and explaining teacher awareness of Christo-normativity. Issue 4 (3rd July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Puchner, Laurel; Markowitz, Linda
• Is Part Of: Discourse. Volume 41:Issue 4(2020)
• Page Start: 545
• Page End: 558
• Publication Date: 2020-07-03
• Subjects: Christo-normativity -- K-12 education -- religion -- teachers -- diversity -- inclusion; Education -- Periodicals; Education -- Australia -- Periodicals; 370.5
• DOI: 10.1080/01596306.2018.1512074
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0159-6306

Abstract

ABSTRACT: To reduce Christo-normativity in United States of America schools, most schools tend to only educate teachers about what religious practices are allowed by law. The question we ask is whether a focus on structural policies, like law, works. We apply Bourdieu's theory of habitus, capital, and field to discuss the findings from 27 interviews we completed with teachers/administrators. We found that participants tended to fit into five categories related to their awareness of whether they promoted Christo-normativity. Those who were relatively aware were either Apologists or Non-celebrators and those who were less aware were Non-apologists, Promoters, or Deniers. We argue that while structural policies to reduce Christo-normativity in public schools may be effective for Apologists and Non-celebrators, such a policy may be ineffective or resisted among Non-apologists, Promoters or Deniers.