The Storytelling Project Model: A Theoretical Framework for Critical Examination of Racism Through the Arts
Source: Teachers College Record, Volume 112 Number 9, 2010.
Background
Research in Europe and the United States shows that racial position shapes and gives voice to the stories people tell about race and racism, and filters how such stories are perceived and understood by listeners.
Although not uniformly the case, people from the majority White racial group tend to emphasize forward progress and the declining significance of race. Minoritized people of color more often note the enduring impact of racism as a barrier to racial progress.
This article describes the evolution of a theoretical model for teaching critically about racism and racial stories utilizing the arts.
The authors reflect on the collaborative theory-building process used to develop the model, their use of the arts to create spaces of learning where racial stories can be unsettled and reexamined, and the potential of this model to guide educational projects in which participants construct alternative stories geared toward social justice.
The authors discuss plans for future research on the relevance of the model for teachers, teacher staff development, and curriculum design in secondary and postsecondary classrooms and in community-based dialogues and collaborative action networks.