ERIC Number: EJ1451552
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1550-5170
EISSN: EISSN-2156-8154
Nothing Nice about It: Critiquing Midwest Nice in Teacher Education
Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, v21 n4 p467-490 2024
In teacher education, critical scholars have lamented how "niceness" hinders progress toward social and racial justice. A place characteristic of this "niceness" is the Midwestern region of the United States, which the dominant narrative paints as overly agreeable and free of racial inequities. This image overlooks the rampant systemic racism that is foundational to the entire country, allowing the Midwest to tout an ideological stance of "Midwest nice"--a race-evasive semblance of social and political politeness that is seemingly harmless. This conceptual article draws on critical race theory and critical geographies of race to analyze how "Midwest nice" influences Midwestern teacher education programs. By conceptualizing two teacher education sites--educator praxis (an input) and student evaluations of teaching (an output)--we consider the particular plight of Women of Color critical scholars instructing preservice teachers in the Midwest. We subsequently explore what this critique of "Midwest nice" means for the field, arguing that teacher education programs in the Midwest perpetuate racial inequity and violence through "Midwest nice." Ultimately, we urge a teacher education program to institutionally support efforts that expose and disrupt "Midwest nice's" preservation of social and racial injustice.
Descriptors: Teacher Education, Social Justice, Racism, Prosocial Behavior, Altruism, Social Attitudes, Regional Characteristics, Teacher Educators, African American Teachers, Women Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Personal Narratives, Student Attitudes, Praxis, Educational Change
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 - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A