The Politics of Politeness: Resistance to Social Justice Education in the South

Presentation given at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting.

This paper discusses Southern politeness, those acts of courtesy and expressions of manners that often typify Southern social interactions and the unexpected challenges Southern politeness can pose to liberatory education. Making connections between historical acts of Southern etiquette used to sanction racial injustice and contemporary expressions of politeness enacted by pre-service teachers, it is argued that seemingly benign acts of politeness can be used by pre-service teachers to resist social justice education. A discussion of ways in which politics of politeness can be reframed to serve libratory ends concludes this chapter.