Race, Class, and Gender in the Pedagogical Matrix

Abstract

Contemporary American educational institutions exist not just as arenas of knowledge distribution and consumption, but they are indeed a microcosm of the larger social structure around us. In particular, the effects of race, class, and gender remain significantly relevant in regard to pedagogical practices within institutions of higher learning. This article aims to sociologically discuss and break down the building blocks that frame the neoliberal context in which the contemporary education system exists; as well as analyze dominant social systems, ideologies, and forms of knowledge which impact the pedagogical environment on the basis of race, class, and gender—and therefore directly affect self-consciousness and selfpossibility in a rather elaborate, matrix-like way. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2015 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]