Ratchetdemic

Meer over het boek

A revolutionary educational model encourages educators to create spaces for students to showcase their academic brilliance while embracing their identities. Building on concepts from his best-selling book, Christopher Emdin presents an alternative approach that celebrates ratchet identity in the classroom. This model advocates for a new student identity that connects the worlds of academia and urban culture. Emdin argues that traditional schooling often centers around whiteness, marginalizing ratchet identity—characteristics associated with lowbrow culture linked to specific ethnic, racial, or socioeconomic groups. Such identities are often deemed anti-intellectual, leading to punishment for behaviors considered outside "academic norms," leaving students frustrated and uninspired. Emdin highlights that these deviations include behaviors labeled as "disruptive" and the celebration of hip-hop culture. He posits that being "ratchetdemic," or combining ratchet identity with academic pursuits (like engaging in rap battles about science), empowers students to integrate their backgrounds with their education. This approach promotes the celebration of protest, challenges the status quo, and reclaims the genius of youth within the classroom.