About the book
In her ethnographic study of Lao American students at an urban, public high school, Bic Ngo shows how simplistic accounts of these students smooth over unfinished, precarious identities and contested social relations. Exploring the ways that immigrant youth identities are shaped by dominant discourses that simplify and confine their experiences within binary categories of good/bad, traditional/modern and success/failure, she unmasks and examines the stories we tell about them, and unsettles the hegemony of discourses that frame identities within discrete dualisms. Rather than cohesive, the identity negotiations of Lao American students are responses that modify, resist, or echo these discourses. Ngo argues that while Lao American students are changing what it means to be \"urban\" and \"immigrant\" youth, most people are unable to read them as doing so, and instead see the youth as confused, backward, and problematic. By illuminating the discursive practices of identity, this study underscores the need to conceptualize urban, immigrant identities as contradictory, fractured and unresolved.
Editions of Unresolved Identities
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781438430577
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781438430584
- PDF
- ISBN 9781438430591
Read an Excerpt
In her ethnographic study of Lao American students at an urban, public high school, Bic Ngo shows how simplistic accounts of these students smooth over unfinished, precarious identities and contested social relations. Exploring the ways that immigrant youth identities are shaped by dominant discourses that simplify and confine their experiences within binary categories of good/bad, traditional/modern and success/failure, she unmasks and examines the stories we tell about them, and unsettles the hegemony of discourses that frame identities within discrete dualisms. Rather than cohesive, the identity negotiations of Lao American students are responses that modify, resist, or echo these discourses. Ngo argues that while Lao American students are changing what it means to be \"urban\" and \"immigrant\" youth, most people are unable to read them as doing so, and instead see the youth as confused, backward, and problematic. By illuminating the discursive practices of identity, this study underscores the need to conceptualize urban, immigrant identities as contradictory, fractured and unresolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Unresolved Identities about?
In her ethnographic study of Lao American students at an urban, public high school, Bic Ngo shows how simplistic accounts of these students smooth over unfinished, precarious identities and contested social relations. Exploring the ways that immigrant youth identities are shaped by dominant discourses that simplify and confine their experiences within binary categories of good/bad, traditional/modern and success/failure, she unmasks and examines the stories we tell about them, and unsettles the hegemony of discourses that frame identities within discrete dualisms. Rather than cohesive, the identity negotiations of Lao American students are responses that modify, resist, or echo these discourses. Ngo argues that while Lao American students are changing what it means to be \"urban\" and \"immigrant\" youth, most people are unable to read them as doing so, and instead see the youth as confused, backward, and problematic. By illuminating the discursive practices of identity, this study underscores the need to conceptualize urban, immigrant identities as contradictory, fractured and unresolved.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Unresolved Identities?
Society and Social Sciences > Education / Educational sciences / Pedagogy > Educational systems and structures > Curriculum planning and development
Where can I read a sample of Unresolved Identities?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781438430577
How long is Unresolved Identities and how many pages does it have?
Unresolved Identities has 160 page(s)
Is Unresolved Identities part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series SUNY series, Second Thoughts: New Theoretical Formations
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Unresolved Identities?
Bic Ngo
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Unresolved Identities is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781438430577) and paperback(ISBN 9781438430584) and pdf(ISBN 9781438430591)
Where can I buy Unresolved Identities online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Unresolved Identities from below
Where can I buy Unresolved Identities?