Title
The dangers of relentless pursuit: teaching, personal health, and the symbolic/real violence of Teach For America
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This paper examines the pressures experienced by teachers as they strive to embody the Teach For America (TFA) motif of ‘relentless pursuit’. It draws on interviews conducted with 36 teachers and uses a Bourdieuian analysis to consider the mechanisms of control manifested through socialization and corps member habituation. The findings suggest that corps members experience both symbolic and self-imposed overt violence as they aim to meet the demands of TFA. This has implications for the increasing number of teachers in programs around like TFA as well as the broader discourses of teacher accountability and the teaching profession.
Department(s)
Education
Publication Title
Discourse
Volume
39
Issue
6
First Page
856
Last Page
867
Publication Date
11-2-2018
DOI
10.1080/01596306.2017.1311298
ISSN
01596306
Recommended Citation
Thomas, Matthew A.M. and Lefebvre, Elisabeth E., "The dangers of relentless pursuit: teaching, personal health, and the symbolic/real violence of Teach For America" (2018). Education Faculty Publications. 2.
https://spark.bethel.edu/education-faculty/2