Narratives of Resistance: Undergraduate Chicanas Navigating the World with Critical Literacy and a Mestiza Praxis

<p>Against a backdrop of rising fascism in the racial-capitalist patriarchy of the U.S., this dissertation study explores the questions, “How do Chicanas in undergraduate programs develop criticality to take action against systems of oppression, and how do they make sense of their social positioning, and what leads them to activism?” This narrative study utilized the theoretical frameworks of critical pedagogy and Chicana feminist epistemology. Guided by decolonizing methodologies, the findings include the narratives of five Chicanas devised from one-on-one research conversations, as well as cross-case data from small group discussions. The themes that emerged from the data led to the theoretical conclusions, which include: (1) Daughtering (2) The Contradictions of Schooling: Empowerment and Othering (3) Connections between Mestiza Consciousness and Critical Literacy and (4) Dreaming. The findings are embedded within these themes in that undergraduate Chicanas in the study developed a Mestiza consciousness as they confronted their positioning within their families and society and sought ways to understand themselves and resist oppression. The study suggests a need to continue learning from Latinas to fight dehumanizing systems of oppression as their abilities and understandings reframe problems and offer solutions that may be undiscoverable when relying solely on traditional research approaches. It also contributes to a paucity of critical research about Chicanas in education by Chicanas in education who are seeking social justice.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Year

2025

Author dc:creator

• Marquez, Elena

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lilia Monzo
• Anaida Colon-Muniz
• Jorge Rodriguez

• Chicana feminist epistemology
• narrative inquiry
• mestiza consciousness
• undergraduate Chicanas
• Chicana activism
• Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/education_dissertations/103

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.chapman.edu:education_dissertations-1102