Positionality Influences

Abstract

This chapter offers a window into how positionality, a person’s socially constructed position in the society in terms of race, social class, gender, nationality, sexuality, and ability/disability, influenced social justice educators to engage in social justice work. The chapter answers questions that are rarely posed in teaching such as how does your positionality color the lens with which you view the world? How does the world view you based on your positionality? The chapter highlights the intersection between how the world positioned social justice educators based on their identity markers and how social justice educators positioned themselves based on their identity markers. It reveals that the external world’s positioning of social justice educators based on their identity markers was so strong and powerful that it fused itself into how social justice educators understood their identities. Reflection questions at the end of the chapter inspire readers to engage in introspection about how positionality in terms of race, gender, sexuality, national origin, ability/disability has colored the lens with which they perceive the world.KeywordsPositionalityConsciousnessIdentity markersGenderSexualityRaceSocial class