Problematic Conceptualizations: Allies in Teacher Education for Social Justice

This review of the literature on the concept ally and ally identity development was inspired by a qualitative study exploring the identities and social justice values of prospective teachers of color. Although the participants in the original study never used the term ally, their narratives inspired me to characterize them as allies in the struggle for social justice education. However, a review of the literature on allies, as analyzed through critical race theory and critical discourse analysis, revealed emerging conceptualizations of ally as incongruent with minority identities as they position people of color at the periphery of this social justice discourse in education. As the emerging literature on allies from student affairs begins to penetrate teacher education, I urge teacher educators to consider the implications of these conceptualizations for the preparation of teachers