Kathleen Nolan’s chapter from Theory and Educational Research:
Critical social theories Kathleen uses

In order to conduct her study and make sense of the data, Nolan used several theories. These theories include:

Reproduction theory: social and economic classes are reproduced by conditions that favor the status quo. This social reproduction is ensured by policies, structures and ideologies that ensured the current power structures. Moreover, schools play a pivotal role in maintaining these roles by having educational experiences that are different for poor/minority (urban) students.



Social Theories of Punishment: economic, political, ideological and cultural forces shape the ways in which the criminal justice system sees and applies punishment. In order to maintain the current power structures there are forces outside of the criminal justice system that shape its policies and implementations. In our country and in the current time these forces can be clearly felt by the mass imprisonment (weighing heavily on man of color) and the “order-maintenance” policing.

Acts of resistance (oppositional behaviors): oppressed people feel the power of the oppressor in many ways and they often feel disempowered. Some ways of dealing with the burden of the oppression is to create spaces/times for resistance. This resistance can come from a place of despair, where the oppressed person wield their individual power in ways to can be interpreted as disrespectful and criminal.

Theory of change: the current systems and structures in our society are unfair and benefit some groups over others. However, these systems are too large and cumbersome to change, so instead of focusing on the larger social constructs, some people focus on the individuals. In this way, individuals can be helped to fit into the broken system rather than fixing the oppressive system.

How/why does she make the theoretical decisions that she does? With what effects on her project and herself as a researcher and writer? (1 paragraph)At the end of the her chapter, Nolan describes her experience visiting an African Marker - with all the colors, smells, sounds - overwhelming. However, in her writing (and by extension in her thinking) Nolan never strays from utilizing theory to inform her ideas and data analysis. She skillfully uses those theories (and specific parts of said theories) to guide every aspect of this work including the interpretation of the data. Moreover, she also is flexible enough to only use components of these theories that best provide explanatory power to her data. Nolan explores the immediate/individual data and then looks exogenously at the context. Her selection and usage of theories exemplifies the concept of finding the threat that connects all parts of her project together. As a reader, I found myself at awe of this work and inspire to improve the social conditions that resulted in such oppressive results for her participants (and their communities).

What are some key takeaways for you? (1 paragraph)Nolan’s chapter is full of insights and these in turn illuminate her research endeavor, as well as her interpretation of her results. In many ways, I am currently feeling the pains of reading many theories and then struggling to figure out how all these ideas fit into my own research interests. Nolan weaves together many theories and her work is richer because of the lenses she uses - but more importantly, her work still maintains cohesiveness and coherence. This is a remarkable piece of work that had lofty goals and complex characteristics. Nolan manages to bring forth ideas without overwhelming the reader nor disruption the flow of the narrative. She masterfully uses theories to guide and validate her own ideas - and all the while she produces text that maintains internal consistency. It is obvious that she is extremely knowledgeable (she had a powerful theoretical arsenal) and also reflective about the process and the interpretation of the data. I am impressed with her work and hope that I can follow in her footsteps.