Table Of ContentASSEMBLAGES OF VIOLENCE IN
EDUCATION
Assemblages of Violence: Everyday Trajectories of Oppression brings
together fields including new materialisms, anthropology, curriculum the-
ory, and educational foundations to examine how violence is intertwined
with everyday events and ideas. Artfully weaving participant narratives in
two contexts that exist a literal world apart—queer middle school youth
of color in an urban context and Indian women who have survived domes-
tic violence—Assemblages of Violence conceptualizes how social justice
functions in opposition to normalized aggressions. Often overlooked, these
deeply significant connections document how multiplicities of aggression
operate as business-as-usual in a variety of spaces and places, including
those that are often thought of as helpful. To these ends, this book intro-
duces pathologies to theoretically and methodologically trace affects in
order to more clearly perceive both where and how violence is embedded in
and between sociopolitical and cultural ways of being, knowing, and doing.
In so doing, Assemblages of Violence argues that pathologizing trajectories
of violence can provide theoretical and methodological tools for those seek-
ing to engage in a pedagogy of equity, access, and care to help people and
communities in ways they wish to be helped.
Boni Wozolek is currently an Assistant Professor of Education at Penn State
Abington. Her work considers questions of social justice, qualitative research
methods, and teaching practices that focus on the examination of race, gen-
ders, and sexual orientations in schools.
ASSEMBLAGES
OF VIOLENCE IN
EDUCATION
Everyday Trajectories of
Oppression
Boni Wozolek
First published 2021
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2021 Taylor & Francis
The right of Boni Wozolek to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this title has been requested
ISBN: 978-0-367-68897-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-40980-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-13951-5 (ebk)
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For Evalyn and Isaac—Your lives give me purpose.
For Savio and Beth—Your memory centers me in my
past-future self.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements viii
Preface x
अितिथदेवो भव: Atithi Devo Bhava 1
Introduction 13
1 When things attract…or don’t: Intra-relations and
quantum entanglements 32
2 Gordian knots: Grasping at the impossibly intertwined 59
3 Pathology as method: Tracing trajectories 83
4 Curricula of violence: Learning in and
through the assemblage 108
Conclusion: Reflecting on the assemblage 133
Index 142
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenki: It is not taboo to go back and fetch
what you forgot.
The phrase above comes from the Twi language of Ghana. In its abbrevi-
ated form, the term “sankofa” means that a person must go back to her
roots in order to move forward. Although acknowledgements usually come
at the beginning, the act of recognizing the help, love, and support some-
one gave along the journey is truly an act of remembering, of moving back
before stepping forward. With that in mind, I would like to thank the fol-
lowing people.
First, and most significantly, to my participants: This work would not
exist without you. You bravely shared your stories in a way that rendered
us both vulnerable. While sharing might not have always been easy, it was
always appreciated.
Second, to my family: Adam, in the middle of a pandemic you helped
me to carve out time so this project could come to fruition while listening
patiently while I struggled with theory over dinner. For that, thank you. To
my beautiful children, Evalyn and Isaac, you gave up (although not always
willingly) bedtime stories and playtime with mom so I could make this hap-
pen. I owe so much of the woman and scholar I am to the opportunity of
being your mom. For your patience, your unconditional love, and your sup-
port, I am forever grateful. To my parents, Amy, Baji, Steve, Dia, and Gary,
my godmother Annie, and my siblings, Ryan, Jenna, Dina, and Vince, who
kindly asked about book updates, thank you for your love and interest in
my work.
Third, to my chosen family: Walter Gershon, without hesitation you lis-
tened to ideas and spent time thinking through drafts with me. This project
would not be what it is without your kindness and support. Rob Helfenbein,
your support encouraged me to start the writing process. Without “words
on page” in my head, there are many times I might not have had the courage
to begin or continue. To Micha Rahder, my gratitude for your professional
Acknowledgements ix
editorial eye. To Vicente Ortiz Cortez, my appreciation for your beauti-
ful art that has graced this cover. To Reagan Mitchell, your gentle care is
always encouraging to my ways of being and keeps me going. To Rachael
Eriksen Brown, Kathy Fadigan, and Ann Martinelli, thank you for your
patience in listening to book updates that you never asked to hear. My grat-
itude to my administrative team at Penn State Abington, Fran Sessa, Andy
August, and Damian Fernandez, for your continued support.
Finally, to the rest of mi familia: Sherick Hughes, Thea Berry, Fran
Huckaby, Ming Fang He, Michael Boucher, Karen Burgard, Jamie
Buffington-Adams, Amoaba Gooden, Jim Henderson, Tommy Ender,
Aparna Tarc, Kent Den Heyer, Anneli Frelin, Denise Taliaferro Baszile,
Sandro Barros, Roland Sintos Coloma, Ramon Goings, Kim Powell, Adell
Cothorne, Raúl Mora, Cynthia Dillard, Ed Brockenbrough, Roland Mitchell,
Erica Meiners, Gabe Huddleston, Sam Rocha, Cris Mayo, Nicholas Ng-A-
Fook, Jerry Rosiek, David Lee Carlson, Greg and Michelle Dimitriadis,
Silvia Bettez, Valerie Malpass, Stacy Williams, Johnny Lupinacci, Camika
Royal, Abraham DeLeon, Lance McCready, Dave Stovall, Janet Miller,
Michelle Herren, Rick Fish, Jean Clandinin, Morna McDermott, George
Noblit, Deepak Subramony, and countless others who I’m sure I’ll be kick-
ing myself for forgetting at this moment—my career is on a particular tra-
jectory because of your guidance and care. For that, and so much more,
thank you.
