A journey to “South”: Becoming third world women educators

This thesis is an invitation to think about education as part of a progressive social movement. We, third world women educators, participate in a struggle over the politics of recognition and distribution. This thesis investigates the stories of five women teachers, including my own, who come from so-called third world countries. The research applies several theoretical perspectives on the lives of these women to assist me in understanding the experience of third world women teachers in times of change. The research draws on philosophical works of Henri Lefebvre, sociological perspectives of Dorothy Smith, and the cultural theory of Michel de Certeau and adopts a feminist neo-Marxist and cultural approaches as a way of explicating relations of power in the everyday, while articulating conceptual tools that challenges domination. This research comes from the perceived need to approach teaching differently (Sachs, 2016) and the thesis provides a platform through which to contribute to the ongoing debate in education by reimagining teaching differently as I undertake a journey “South” (Connell, 2007). I use “South” as a metaphor, to investigate the lived experiences of teachers who come from postcolonial nations, such as South America (Chile and Brazil) and South Africa. I represent these teachers’ “journeys” to Australia, as I critically engage with their stories of becoming teachers in this landscape. By undertaking an inquiry to South, this thesis challenges hegemonic forces in education, by representing the voices of third world women educators in education.