HOW THE HEGEMONIC STRUCTURE OF SCHOOL DISCIPLINE SUPPLIES THE SCHOOL:TO:PRISON PIPELINE

Abstract

Racial minorities are overrepresented among students in schools who receive disciplinary infractions. Research has not been able to confirm that the discipline is based solely on differences in behavior. Popular disciplinary tactics such as zero-tolerance, suspension/expulsion, differential treatment, and differential processing push students out of educational environments. Students pushed out of school do not learn how to appropriately address their questionable behavior and tend to engage in escalated levels of criminal activity not deemed appropriate by society. This paper explores the possibility that the hegemonic structure of education contributes to the racial disproportion evidenced in the school discipline statistics. This paper explains the school-to-prison pipeline and the concept of hegemony separately. Then, the article explores the components of the concept of hegemony such as dominance, resistance, and manipulation in educational contexts. The idea that subjugated groups typically resist dominant ideology is evidenced in the racial disproportion found in school discipline systems. The negative repercussions of the theoretical underpinnings of hegemony in education impact students of color, historically marginalized communities, and society in general. Accomplishing equity in education by addressing any discriminatory areas within the control of the school is worthwhile in order to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline and its negative effects on society.