The blab of the pave/d: Ethnographic encounters in a choice school
Abstract
This narrative ethnography adopts a literary lens to relay the various lived experiences of a non-traditional, Midwestern public high school during its final year in its original building. Extending upon previous research of high school dropouts (Cameron, 2012), I examine how this one particular high school incorporated a self-paced curriculum with a focus on "family" to address the unique learning needs of students at risk of not graduating. By employing elements of grounded theory, narrative inquiry, and autoethnography, I share the stories of Walgut High School's (a pseudonym) roughly sixty students as they struggle to navigate their respective roles in a dominant cultural narrative to which they've never felt like they belonged. Through the extensive and organic voices of the primary participants--as well as my observations of my own participation in the school culture over the course of a year--this project serves to offer insights not only into the school experiences of marginalized adolescents, but also into Walgut's myriad successes and failures. In particular, this piece highlights the vitality of unconditionally caring or "hospitable" teachers (Derrida, 2000), while also ultimately questioning the presumed utility of a high school diploma. The story concludes not by lauding the alternative mine created for Walgut's canaries, but by questioning the purpose and stability of all scholastic mines.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Alsup, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Educational leadership|Pedagogy|Secondary education|Curriculum development
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