Dismantling the Education-Survival Complex: A Qualitative Case Study of How High School Youth Resist Whitestream School Policies and Foster School Change Through a Youth-Development Organization

<p>The aim of this study is to critically examine how youth resist whitestream school policies and foster educational change through community sociopolitical youth-development organizations. The methodology for this study is a qualitative case study (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1990; Merriam, 1988), as I am focused on participant perceptions and experiences, and how they make sense of their resistance experience through participation in sociopolitical youth development organizations like Youth for Social and Political Activism (YSPA). In total, eight participants spoke about their racial identity through their lived experiences in public school and YSPA programming.</p> <p>The data and analysis are presented in the non-evaluative and transparent collective response of testimonios, organized by research question using quotes from the data. To express the findings of the present research, a collective testimonio—also known as a polyphonic testimonio—highlights the lived experience of many (Kiyama, 2017). I highlight five themes as foundational pillars to ways youth resistance is evolving: power and voice, white supremacy, healing justice, resistance, and abolition. Further, this study offers recommendations for ways policymakers, district leaders, and community organizations should employ youth voice in creation and development of policy at all levels of governance.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year dc:date.available

2022

Author dc:creator

• Trinidad, Tracie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lolita Tabron
• Doris Candelarie
• Johnny C. Ramirez

• Abolition
• Healing justice
• Social justice
• Transformational resistance
• Youth development
• Youth voice
• Education
• Educational Administration and Supervision
• Educational Leadership
• Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration

Statement dc:rights

• <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2090

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-3077