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Translanguaging as a Political Act with Roma: Carving a Path between Pluralism and Collectivism for Transformation
- Source :
-
Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies . Apr 2020 18(1):98-135. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Translanguaging claims to advance social justice as a transformative pedagogy. This paper analyses a tension which developed over the life span of a European research project which aimed to improve the educational experience for Eastern European Roma pupils through teachers' employment of a translanguaging pedagogy. Roma are ethnically and linguistically heterogeneous, but as a minority group face continued racism, whilst Roma pupils face educational exclusion. The voices of Roma parents, pupils and activists and academics alerted us to potential threats in utilising translanguaging as a political act for transformation in education. They revealed a central tension between recognition of linguistic pluralism for emancipation at school level (with possibilities for policy level changes at local or national levels) and unifying endeavours for collective action towards equality and human rights at a (trans)national level. To understand this tension we reframed it in light of the postmodernist positioning of translanguaging, and critiques of the de-politicizing tendencies of postmodernism. In proposing a way forward for research and pedagogy, we carve a path between pluralism and collectivism by placing translanguaging pedagogy and associated research into Nancy Fraser's integrative model of recognition and redistribution for transformation.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1740-2743
- Volume :
- 18
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1250707
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Evaluative