ERIC Number: EJ1301694
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1361-3324
EISSN: N/A
In the Midst of the Water Crisis: Language and Resistance in Flint
Race, Ethnicity and Education, v24 n4 p470-484 2021
Because racism is permanently woven into the fabric of American society, the fight for Black equality and liberation is a constant struggle of resistance. Traditionally, a strong method of resistance utilized by oppressed people has been the use of language. Language is a form of symbolic power, a political force utilized to empower those who make use of it. Language is far more than just use of words, however; it is the way meaning is provided to communication. Using data collected from an ethnographic study of school board meetings, this paper will discuss how the educational community of Flint, Michigan, uses language to resist current socioeconomic and sociopolitical oppressions, specifically focusing on their resistance to the Flint water crisis. The findings of this research show that Flint educational members use features of African American Language to resist social, political, economic, and educational oppressions and injustices. Especially evident is their use of cultural values, community consciousness, and field dependency.
Descriptors: Racial Bias, Equal Education, Language Usage, Boards of Education, Community Involvement, African Americans, Black Dialects, African American Culture, Resistance (Psychology), Water Pollution, Poisoning, Social Bias
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Michigan (Flint)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A