MIDAS (Maritime Inter-disciplinary Arts Seminar) Webinar-FR and SJ

Event Details:

Breaking Bread, White Postures, and Teacher Identity - by Dr. Arlo Kempf, OISE/University of Toronto

and

Effects of Covid-19 on homeless Youths - by Dr. Dawn Onishenko, Ryerson University and Dr. Dionisio Nyaga, Ryerson University

Breaking Bread, White Postures, and Teacher Identity - Dr. Arlo Kempf, OISE/University of Toronto

Reporting on the findings of a recent study on race, whiteness and teachers’ work, this presentation theorizes three distinct but related postures of White self-location and takes up the implications of each for teacher self-identity and professional practice. The discussion draws from results of a small mixed-method study of Ontario secondary teachers who participated in a variety of conscious and unconscious race bias mitigation activities. In this study, teacher participants engaged in critical reading on race and racism, completed implicit bias awareness training, used a variety of unconscious bias mitigation interventions in and out of the classroom, and provided ongoing reflections on these activities. One of these interventions was an invitation to a dinner in which White-presenting teachers were asked to engage in structured dialogues on racism in education. This presentation explores what emerged from these dinner interventions, based on an analysis of the dinners themselves, as well on teachers’ reflections about their experiences at the dinner. The analysis engages and draws from critical race theory, second wave whiteness studies to identify and flesh out the following three White-identity postures. Posture one includes a preoccupation with presentation of self and self presentation. Posture two, includes a concern for one’s perceived level of comparative racial awareness. Posture three includes explicit connections between racial self and racial injustice at the systemic level. Jumping off from this light typology, the presentation considers related implications for racial justice in teaching.

Effects of Covid-19 on homeless Youths - Dr. Dawn Onishenko & Dr. Dionisio Nyaga, Ryerson University

Homelessness has been a key research and policy issue in Canada. Over time, studies have identified homelessness as a fundamental social and political that Canadian policy makers and researchers needs to pay attention to. It is now clear that homelessness continues to affect Canadian youth in ways that are interlocking based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and other social markers. Such complexities of experiences are inextricably connected to other social issues such as differentiated high policing, mental health, substance among youth. These experiences have been compounded by COVID-19, therefore making it impossible to provide requisite social service to this demographic groups. This presentation will look at the experiences of homeless youth living in Toronto to argue for a policy change that meets these unprecedented changes brought about by Covid-19 pandemic. The presentation looks at key terms such as homelessness, youth and policy as white and hegemonically gendered and calls for a reimagination of policy that imagines the lives of homeless youth based on their specific experiences. The presentation identifies COVID-19 as a requisite decolonial methodology for understanding Youth homelessness.

Click here to join the meeting on Microsoft Teams

Building: Microsoft Teams Meeting Link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU4ZDg4ZjctOTcwMi00M2E3LWE4NGQtNWRiZTBjZjE2Y2Nh%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22244e6ed2-339a-47f3-b95c-e45351c198b7%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%221eee1813-e5e1-4c3b-8bbc-3a4d3666e06c%22%7d