Beyond Economics: Using Social Class Life-Based Literary Narratives with Pre-Service and Practicing Social Studies and English Teachers

In this article, we propose that one way of engaging pre-service and practicing high school Social Studies and English teachers in critical conversations about social class is through the use of life-based literary narratives. By expanding upon Phillion and He's (2004) work around the pedagogical and curricular potential of using life-based literary narratives in multicultural education courses with pre-service teachers, we explore the possibilities of their approach for developing critical understandings of social class among pre-service and practicing Social Studies and English teachers in undergraduate multi-cultural education courses and professional development book groups. Effective use of life-based literary narratives shows more potential for moving practicing and pre-service teachers toward an understanding of the complexities of social class than traditional approaches.