Dr. Alana Butler, Assistant Professor of At-Risk Learners and Student Success in the Faculty of Education, sees inclusion as foundational to her work. Dr. Butler is also currently the principal investigator on a 2019 Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for a study on post-secondary access for low-income youth.
“As a researcher it’s particularly important to think of inclusion,” she notes. “As a Black researcher, I'm particularly interested in Black youth. A big part of what motivates me to do research is prioritizing populations that have been underrepresented and in that way inclusion and equity are foundational to my work.”
Her research focuses on topics that have typically received less attention, such as the academic achievement of low-socio economic students, race and schooling, equity and inclusion, and multicultural education.
She feels strongly that inclusion must include both the research and the researchers, emphasizing the positives of researchers who relate to their subjects and to the lived experiences of underrepresented communities.
Inclusivity is a perspective Dr. Butler also brings to her classroom instruction, where her research helps shape the next generation of teachers.
She acknowledges how difficult it can be to teach about inclusion within a system that can still be oppressive, especially in light of growing pushback to diversity initiatives.
Dr. Butler values events like International Women’s Day or Black Histories and Futures Month as teaching opportunities in the classroom but challenges teacher candidates and educators to continue those lessons beyond specific dates.
“Black people are here year-round, not just in February. The same thing goes for International Women’s Day. Raising awareness is positive, but I think it’s important for educators to think of ways to extend that inclusion throughout the year.”
She encourages teacher candidates to develop an equity lens, a way of seeing the world through a social-justice framework, to help them continue the conversation about equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression throughout the year and maintaining a core commitment to Indigenization – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility (I-EDIAA) work in the classroom.
“Developing an equity lens helps you see the world in a different way. Whether you're looking at how you do assessments, or how you design curricula, an equity lens changes those processes. Developing and cultivating an equity lens allows you to observe who’s included and who’s excluded. It allows you to consider perspective and bias. The critical educator is one who asks these types of questions.”
Dr. Butler also challenges those who work outside the classroom to bring an equity lens to their workplaces as well.
“It's important to think about what, if you're in healthcare, the social determinants of health have to do with someone’s identity. In business, how might marketing be different for different social groups? There's no area or field that has nothing to do with I-EDIAA.”
