| Rooted in feminist philosophy, critical race theory and participatory action research, I partnered with four faculty and four students at an elite private boys' school to examine bullying. In this dissertation I took a critical look at conducting counter-hegemonic research with people who are predominantly privileged and within institutions designed to reproduce those privileges. I particularly examined the spaces where knowledge was co-produced, the language and assumptions used within these spaces and our co-constructed methods that attempted to dig beneath the school's dominant culture. The theoretical assumptions, our constructed methods, our collected outcomes and our ultimate interpretations were each inextricably linked. What we found was not objectively uncovered but instead was largely influenced by how we chose to study bullying. By incorporating multiple methods, multiple levels and multiple intersectional standpoints we were able to collect data that helped us understand their institution as systemic, heterogeneous and political. Our methods created participatory spaces that developed relationships and critical discussions across hierarchical school membership; they opened new, viable outlets to communicate and voice critical concerns about issues rarely discussed. As a result, this work conducted inside a closed institution was a form of counter-hegemonic action. |
