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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Despite the fact that American public schools are subject to First Amendment restrictionsthat prohibit government establishment of a national religion and interference in individuals’ worship practices, there is evidence that Christianity may be privileged over other faith traditions and non-belief in some public school environments (Blumenfeld, 2006; Blumenfeld, Joshi, & Fairchild, 2009; Nelson, 2009). While there are research studies conducted from a Christian perspective, there are few research studies that focus on how non-Christian teachers feel and react to situations in which they encounter Christian privilege in their public school workplaces.
Relying on the theory of social constructionism, this research study interviewed sixteen non-Christian teachers about their experiences with Christian privilege in public schools. These
interviews explored the experiences and how those experiences affected the non-Christianteachers as they worked in public schools in north Georgia. Interviews suggest that all sixteen participants observed and noted Christian privilege that affected how they felt and behaved in
their public school workspaces. This research study adds the previously unheard voices of non-Christian teachers to the academic discussion about how Christian privilege is present in public
education and how that Christian privilege affects non-Christian teachers.
Despite the fact that American public schools are subject to First Amendment restrictionsthat prohibit government establishment of a national religion and interference in individuals’ worship practices, there is evidence that Christianity may be privileged over other faith traditions and non-belief in some public school environments (Blumenfeld, 2006; Blumenfeld, Joshi, & Fairchild, 2009; Nelson, 2009). While there are research studies conducted from a Christian perspective, there are few research studies that focus on how non-Christian teachers feel and react to situations in which they encounter Christian privilege in their public school workplaces.
Relying on the theory of social constructionism, this research study interviewed sixteen non-Christian teachers about their experiences with Christian privilege in public schools. These
interviews explored the experiences and how those experiences affected the non-Christianteachers as they worked in public schools in north Georgia. Interviews suggest that all sixteen participants observed and noted Christian privilege that affected how they felt and behaved in
their public school workspaces. This research study adds the previously unheard voices of non-Christian teachers to the academic discussion about how Christian privilege is present in public
education and how that Christian privilege affects non-Christian teachers.