Peer-reviewed article
A ‘bad fit’ for ‘our’ kids: politics, identity, race and power in parental discourse on educational programming & child well-being
Erin P. Sugrue ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This research examines how parents in a predominantly White, upper-middle class suburban school district discuss educational programming through discourse that reflects underlying issues of race, class, and power. Using critical discourse analysis and Critical Race Theory, the study identifies how racist and classist ideologies are expressed in coded language rather than overt racism. The research aims to expose these hidden discourses so that the ideologies and practices they reflect can be challenged. The work highlights that issues of race and class remain central to American education despite appearing less overtly racist than in the past.
Key points
- Contemporary racist discourse in educational contexts is often coded rather than overtly expressed
- Race and class remain central issues in American public school discourse
- Parental discourse about educational programming reflects underlying power dynamics and identity issues
- Critical discourse analysis can expose the ideologies embedded in how parents discuss their children's education
Limitations
The document is a metadata abstract and does not provide the full study findings, methodology details, or specific examples of the discourse analysis. It therefore cannot tell us what specific coded language parents used, what educational programs were discussed, or what outcomes for child well-being were identified.
Abstract
Issues of race and class have long been at the center of discourses involving the American public education system. Although contemporary discourse regarding issues of race and power in American schools may be less overt in racist ideology than in previous decades, the impact of coded racist discourse can be equally powerful and dangerous. A need exists to identify racist and classist discourse in educational contexts so that the ideologies and practices these discourses reflect can be challenged. This paper uses critical discourse analysis and Critical Race Theory to examine how the discourses of race, class, and power are enacted within a discussion of educational programing and child well-being in a predominantly White, upper-middle class suburban public school.