Overview

"How can we promote the learning and well-being of all students, especially those who come from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds? Anindya Kundu argues that we can fight against deeply rooted inequalities in the American educational system by harnessing student agency—each person's unique capacity for positive change. To make his case, Kundu draws powerful narratives from a population of individuals who beat the odds to become academically and professionally successful. These strivers have overcome challenges such as broken families, homelessness, unexpected pregnancies, forms of abuse, incarceration, and more, to make it in the world. But it wasn't simply individualism, tenacity, resilience, or grit that helped them. Rather, as Kundu illustrates, it was a combination of social and cultural supports that paved the path towards their dreams, harnessing the inherent power of their agency.Book Features: A counter-narrative to the popular misconception that all students need is ""grit."" A strengths-based approach to education that is sensitive to students' communities and cultures. Rich, first-person quotes from individuals who have overcome immense odds. Useful diagrams for educational stakeholders on the relationship between grit and agency. Descriptions of dense sociological concepts presented in plain terms. Inclusion of fundamental and new waves in psychology."

Full Product Details

Author:   Anindya Kundu
Publisher:   Teachers' College Press
Imprint:   Teachers' College Press
Weight:   0.397kg
ISBN:  

9780807763896

ISBN 10:   0807763896
Pages:   192
Publication Date:   30 July 2020
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

"Foreword Acknowledgments Prologue: Welcome to ""American Dilemmas"" Introduction: From Seeing Roses in Concrete to Believing Schools Are Gardens 1. Rugged Individualism and the Co-Option of Grit Individual Outcomes are Largely Products of ""Social and Cultural Reproduction"" Swim Tests and Afro-Puffs Getting to Agency: Limitations of Grit in Fully Explaining Achievement 2. Agency as a Foundational Sociological Concept A Classic Sociological Debate and Finding a Balance through Grit and Agency Studying Exceptional Cases to Broaden the Understanding of Disadvantage Agency Re-Defined and Operationalized 3. The Home and Family Parenting Amidst Structural Limitations ""Growing Up Too Soon"": Immense Responsibilities and Nuanced Effects on Agency Young Parents: An Amplifying Effect on Agency and Grit Conclusion 4. The Social Environment and School Settings Social and Cultural Capital Revisited: Essential Ingredients to Success Mentors and Networks: Improving Students' Worldviews, Senses of Self, and Help-Seeking Behaviors Conclusion 5. The Ever-Evolving Human Purpose: A Component of Passion and a Basis for Developing Grit and Agency Giving Back to Make Positive Change: A Form of Positive Resistance Faith: Reaffirms Purpose, Hones Focus and Fuels Agency Mental Health, Wellness and Fulfilment Benefit from Monitoring and Social Supports Understanding Burnout from a Social Perspective Guided Self-Reflection can Help a Person Re-Realize Their Passions and Agency Conclusion 6. Conclusion: Fighting the Normalization of Failure Shifting Paradigms About What's Possible Recommendations for Fostering Grit and Agency Appendix: Positionality, Research Design, and Conceptual Framework Why I Research Research Positionality Methodology Addressing Limitations and Looking Forward Participant Reference Table Photos References Index About the Author"

Reviews

Expertly written, organized and presented, The Power of Student Agency: Looking Beyond Grit to Close the Opportunity Gap is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections. --Midwest Book Review

"""Kundu's spirited writing encourages practitioners at all levels to move toward a strength-based model that affirms students and their capacity, and he challenges readers to examine their own beliefs about student success and demystify individualist ideologies that suggest success if one simply tries hard enough."" --Teachers College Record ""Expertly written, organized and presented, The Power of Student Agency: Looking Beyond Grit to Close the Opportunity Gap is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections."" --Midwest Book Review"

Author Information

Anindya Kundu is currently a senior fellow at the City University of New York Graduate Center. His work has appeared in NPR Education, MSNBC, the Huffington Post, and he has given two TED Talks with millions of views.

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