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Research
Below you will find publications, research briefs, and short infographics for my research. Click on the picture to expand and access the link.
*Please note that some of the infographics correspond with published articles which should be used if the information presented here is cited.
‘We are not ok’: a photovoice study on educational violence and resistance by and for Black undergraduate students at predominantly white institutions
Experiences of individual and institutional racism within education hinders the ability of Black students to study safely, negatively impacting their mental health and academic outcomes. However, universities continuously fail to respond, ultimately silencing Black students. Despite persistent educational violence, Black students continue to thrive through radical resistance. To highlight both experiences of oppression and resistance, the current study utilized photovoice to understand the intersectional experience of 5 Black women undergraduate students at predominantly white institutions. Implications inform actionable strategies to ensure Black students are in a space where they can thrive.
“The Things We Carry”: Interventions against the cumulative effects of racism in K-12 education
Anti-Black racism in K-12 education settings has long-term impacts on Black students, including negative academic and mental health outcomes. Limited interventions following experiences of racism shape Black students’ expectations of K-12 education, accumulating over time into institutional distrust and these mental health outcomes. As such, it is necessary to understand how Black students experience racism within K-12 settings to better inform interventions that can be implemented at the school level. To that end, this study employed the participatory action research (PAR) method of photovoice to understand the impacts of racism in educational settings among 5 Black women undergraduate students. Results highlight the cumulative effects of racism on identity development and early coping. Implications inform future interventions to address the cumulative effects of anti-Black racism in K-12 education
“Unfortunately what’s right isn’t always what’s best”: Exploring teacher and school staff experiences with mandated reporting
Mandated reporting is the current system in place for school personnel to support youth whom they suspect have experienced maltreatment. However, limited research details the experiences of mandated reporters. Thus, the current study utilizes reflexive thematic analysis to explore how school personnel identify and respond to suspected abuse. Analysis of interviews with 14 school personnel who made reports resulted in three themes: (1) the subjectivity of the decision to report; (2) the absence of youth voices; and (3) experiences navigating inadequate systems of support. Findings illuminate the tensions reporters hold and reinforce calls to implement supports for youth and families.
“At What Point Do You Ask a Suicidal Teen to Do Their Math Homework?”: How Los Angeles Teachers Are Navigating the Effects of Violence-Related Trauma in the Classroom
Racism, violence exposure, trauma, and education are inextricably linked, impacting adolescents’ current and future well-being. Although trauma-informed care models are being adopted in schools, research is unclear about what individual and institutional factors influence teachers’ responses to students exposed to violence-related trauma. Findings from this qualitative convergent mixed-methods study highlight how teachers’ personal attributes, identity match, and institutional limitations collectively influence teachers’ ability to support their students and their own well-being.
For the institution or for the community?: toward an anti-oppressive research praxis in conducting participatory action research
Participatory action research has the goal of democratizing knowledge to inform individual and collective action. Photovoice, an arts-based method within the broader PAR landscape, provides a lens for exploring community strengths and needs with the purpose of social change. Research demonstrates photovoice’s utility in inciting social change with and for communities, yet concerns arise over the lack of participant voices in the analysis, writing, and dissemination of the projects leaving us to question, “Is our research for the institution or for the community?” This conceptual article extends PAR scholarship about conducting an anti-oppressive research praxis by drawing on the lived experiences of two uni-researchers and two co-researchers and their use of praxis across two separate photovoice research projects. We describe three key principles in conducting an anti-oppressive research praxis and conclude with implications for practice and research.
A New World Cannot be Built Alone: An Abolitionist Perspective for Collective Action in Social Work
States across the U.S. are increasingly passing anti-CRT and anti-trans policies, most of which have begun to pervade institutions of higher education, igniting a concerning trend that is harming our communities, clients, students, and each other. While social work has been quick to name the harms of the systems with which we engage, it fails to address the mechanisms underlying those systems. To better aid schools of social work to move toward meaningful action, this conceptual article presents an abolitionist framework for collective action that highlights how social work schools and educators can resist performative responses to legislative terror. This framework calls for social work to take on the role of fugitive as we critically examine, disrupt, and disinvest from harmful power structures in social work. By adopting an abolitionist approach to collective action, schools of social work can better prepare faculty and students to engage in collective action for a more just society.
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