Enacting Critical Conversations on Racial, Linguistic, and Anti-Immigrant Injustice: Toward a Theory of Anti-Oppressive Discourse in Education

Chris Chang-Bacon

In times of sustained racism and anti-immigrant sentiment, anti-oppressive pedagogies remain an educational imperative. Yet waves of recent legislation, including bans on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, create a fraught environment for teachers to engage in this necessary work. Research shows that critical conversations with coworkers are a powerful means for teachers to engage in anti-oppressive work, particularly in politically charged policy environments. However, little is known about how teachers actually engage in these conversations, which are difficult to observe systematically in spontaneous, real-world settings. Therefore, this study will document the discursive mechanisms of critical conversations while also investigating the affordances and limitations of virtual simulation for anti-oppressive work. Participants will engage in virtual scenarios wherein colleagues articulate biases toward students. Employing discourse analysis, this study will identify specific strategies participants use to engage in (or avoid) these conversations, ultimately leading to a framework of justice-avoidance/engagement to better facilitate anti-oppressive work in education. As simulation becomes increasingly common in teacher education, this study will document the potential of these platforms for anti-oppressive work, offering new theories and avenues for engaging teachers in disrupting systemic inequities, while also maintaining teachers' professional safety in an increasingly fraught policy context.

About Chris Chang-Bacon

Chris Chang-Bacon is an assistant professor at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. His research explores language ideologies and policies, particularly in English as a Second Language (ESL), dual-language, and bilingual education settings. Chang-Bacon began his teaching career through the Peace Corps in Morocco. He subsequently taught high school and middle school in South Korea and Massachusetts before starting his PhD in Curriculum & Instruction at Boston College. In Boston, Chang-Bacon worked for the Boston Public Schools' Office of Opportunity Gaps while researching the impacts of the state's former "English Only" education policy. His current projects focus on anti-oppressive pedagogies in teacher education, documenting how teachers work, both individually and collectively, to disrupt policies that uphold racial and linguistic discrimination. His work has been funded by grants from the Spencer Foundation, NCTE, and the International Research Foundation for English Language Education. Chang-Bacon was the recipient of the 2020 AERA Language and Social Processes Emerging Scholar Award and the 2022 James E. Alatis Prize for Research on Language Planning and Policy in Educational Contexts. In 2023, Chang-Bacon received his institution's All-University Teaching Award. He holds a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from Boston College, an M.Ed from Boston University, and a BA in Theatre from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter Minnesota.