Black Children’s Refusal in a “Hege-Mindful” World
This case study examines the connections between mindfulness activities and related benefits, including wellness, as 13 Black fifth graders embarked on an 8-week mindfulness program in their public-school classroom. The children responded well to the program and exhibited some wellness outcomes asso...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | AERA Open |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241311237 |
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| author | Jadyn Laixely Stephanie C. Sanders-Smith |
| author_facet | Jadyn Laixely Stephanie C. Sanders-Smith |
| author_sort | Jadyn Laixely |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This case study examines the connections between mindfulness activities and related benefits, including wellness, as 13 Black fifth graders embarked on an 8-week mindfulness program in their public-school classroom. The children responded well to the program and exhibited some wellness outcomes associated with mindfulness. However, hegemonic school and classroom practices emphasizing adult control and minimal child agency prevented the children from practicing new mindfulness skills or sustaining feelings of wellness, mattering, and harmony throughout the school day. We found that classroom mindfulness efforts, when not supported by all classroom teachers and administrators, necessarily limit Black children’s ability to develop a sense of self-awareness and self-efficacy and can in fact reinforce feelings of self-blame. Our findings suggest that mindfulness programs can have a positive impact for Black children when paired with antiracist practices, allowing space for the children to practice refusal and prioritize their right to matter. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9d3bb8b10dfd4d60a2b0862c42bfcece |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2332-8584 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AERA Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-9d3bb8b10dfd4d60a2b0862c42bfcece2025-01-17T11:03:27ZengSAGE PublishingAERA Open2332-85842025-01-011110.1177/23328584241311237Black Children’s Refusal in a “Hege-Mindful” WorldJadyn LaixelyStephanie C. Sanders-SmithThis case study examines the connections between mindfulness activities and related benefits, including wellness, as 13 Black fifth graders embarked on an 8-week mindfulness program in their public-school classroom. The children responded well to the program and exhibited some wellness outcomes associated with mindfulness. However, hegemonic school and classroom practices emphasizing adult control and minimal child agency prevented the children from practicing new mindfulness skills or sustaining feelings of wellness, mattering, and harmony throughout the school day. We found that classroom mindfulness efforts, when not supported by all classroom teachers and administrators, necessarily limit Black children’s ability to develop a sense of self-awareness and self-efficacy and can in fact reinforce feelings of self-blame. Our findings suggest that mindfulness programs can have a positive impact for Black children when paired with antiracist practices, allowing space for the children to practice refusal and prioritize their right to matter.https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241311237 |
| spellingShingle | Jadyn Laixely Stephanie C. Sanders-Smith Black Children’s Refusal in a “Hege-Mindful” World AERA Open |
| title | Black Children’s Refusal in a “Hege-Mindful” World |
| title_full | Black Children’s Refusal in a “Hege-Mindful” World |
| title_fullStr | Black Children’s Refusal in a “Hege-Mindful” World |
| title_full_unstemmed | Black Children’s Refusal in a “Hege-Mindful” World |
| title_short | Black Children’s Refusal in a “Hege-Mindful” World |
| title_sort | black children s refusal in a hege mindful world |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241311237 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jadynlaixely blackchildrensrefusalinahegemindfulworld AT stephaniecsanderssmith blackchildrensrefusalinahegemindfulworld |