The Hidden Hand: Systematic Oppression Cloaked as Education

Peterson, Wynona Abstract This qualitative study examines how urban middle-school policies and routines form a “compliance architecture” that prioritizes order and measurable performance, shaping student agency. Using Michel Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power, this analysis examines how attendance requirements, standardized testing mandates, parents’ rights, and schoolwide behavior systems are enacted and understood by educators, parents/guardians, and students. Data was gathered in a qualitative case study using purposive sampling. Sources included semi-structured interviews with educators, parents/guardians, and students (Grades 6–8), limited non-participant observations of instructional and transition spaces. Analysis used iterative open and axial coding with constant comparison, guided by Foucauldian sensitizing concepts (enclosure, control of activity, seriation, and composition of forces). Triangulating across stakeholder accounts and data sources strengthened the study’s claims about how compliance is produced and experienced in everyday school life. Findings show that attendance and testing function as levers of conformity that define success through presence and quantifiable performance, while tightly managed routines and behavior incentives produce predictability but render agency conditional. Across accounts, “good student” identity was associated with self-monitoring and rule adherence, and inconsistent enforcement and collective punishment shaped students’ strategic compliance and perceptions of fairness. Implications include rebalancing structure with autonomy, broadening definitions of success beyond test and behavior metrics, and strengthening relational and participatory governance.

Grantor dc:publisher

Alverno College

Year dc:date

2026

Author dc:creator

• Peterson, Wynona

Statement dc:rights

• These materials may be used by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or for any fair use as defined by U.S. Copyright Law.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://alverno.omeka.net/items/show/1033

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:alverno.omeka.net:1033