Memory work as an affective-discursive methodology for teachers’ negotiations of racialised differentiations in the classroom

Abstract

How can we grapple with the often subtle, embodied and sometimes ephemeral experiences and affects associated with processes of racialisation? We propose memory work as an affective-discursive methodology that can inform and inspire educational research by interrogating that which is often not mentioned, but felt, located between words and bodily reactions. Empirical findings from two research projects on schools in Denmark provide insights into teachers’ memories and experiences of working in racialised diverse classrooms. Through analysis of memory work with teachers, we show how this methodology facilitates a collective space for sharing and negotiating challenging and often affectively intense experiences, specifically zooming in on teachers’ fears of being called a racist and of becoming embroiled in religious conflicts in the classroom. We argue that memory work as an affective-discursive methodological approach can be considered part of a collaborative endeavour to create socially just methods for studying sensitive and politicised topics.