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3 Power and classroom

It is important to understand three ideas that add feed into the concept of the culture of power – hegemony, ideology and power. Hegemony is when one group’s ideology is imposed on to everyone in society. Ideology “refers to the stories myths, explanations, definitions and rationalizations that are used to justify inequality between the dominant and the minoritized groups.” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017, p. 73) Then that means that power is when people have the ability to impose their “ideas and interests on everyone.” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017, p. 73)

When professors teach, the information they share can at times come from a narrow scope with one point of view that is being transmitted as the ultimate truth.

A photo of a modern multi story university building in Japan
Figure 3.1. A tall modern university building surrounded by greenery, Japan.

 

Pause to reflect

Please think from your own experience, what does power look like between teacher and student?