Educational *Policies and Practices in Lived Context: Puerto Ricans Schooled in Chicago

Abstract

174 p.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2005.

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of Puerto Rican youth who are products of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). A critical theoretical framework is utilized to forge a critique of pedagogy and curriculum development within a system that perceives schools as apolitical and teachers as neutral players in the process of teaching and learning. The experiences of these youth highlight social agency and aspects of home identity that assisted them in navigating their lives as students in CPS. Furthermore, this research presents a glimpse of the complexity of educational polices within a lived context by providing a brief history of educational policies that speak to the reception and value of Latinos in the United States (US), coupled with an examination of schooling experiences of Puerto Ricans in Chicago. The methodology of life history served to provide a deeper understanding and analysis of the educational experiences surrounding peers, teachers, curriculum, language and other components of school culture. In addition, it suggests why schools act as a barrier for some students, while simultaneously serving as a means of access for others. The methodology of life history coupled with critical theories of education work together to create an emancipatory vision of learning and teaching rooted in lived experience.