Cultural genocide by Western education: A transdisciplinary study of pragmatics in New Orleans

The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of transdisciplinarity as an achievable style of learning for African American students in New Orleans. The approach to this study is transdisciplinary because it views the research as both a process and a tool. Transdisciplinarity is the disciplined box that best houses this research. It is drawn from sociology, cultural anthropology, psychotherapy, history, philosophy, science, and linguistics. The significance of this study is developed in previous research relating to failing inner-city African American students. How do African American students in New Orleans experience an integral education that is culturally relevant if they were taught and evaluated by a pedagogy reflecting an African-centered, creative transdisciplinary framework?;To answer this question, critical theory is used in the context of theoretical and observational research to identify proficient teaching approaches for African American students. This study followed steps 1 through 5 of Comstock's (1982) model for critical theory research; in the process, constructed theories about the learning styles of African American students dating back to the 1930s were observed.;This theoretical dissertation consists of an exploration of education leadership theories that considers cultural distinctions with contradictory realities (c.f. Dubois's 1903 concept of double consciousness) that, in turn, leads to a defective society. These theories were discussed for the purpose of critically constructing and identifying meaning for the benefit of African American students. This study specifically examined transdisciplinarity as pedagogy to identify a teaching method that can be better situated to effectively respond to African American students in New Orleans.