Term of Award

Spring 2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading

Committee Chair

Delores Liston

Committee Member 1

Mecca Williams-Johnson

Committee Member 2

Abraham Flanigan

Committee Member 3

Elizabeth O. Crawford

Abstract

The research study examined the intersection of educators and visible tattoos, specifically focusing on the challenges faced by visibly tattooed female educators. The investigation centered on the identified problem that these educators often encounter discrimination based on their physical appearance, which influences their job satisfaction, teaching evaluations, and personal well-being. A critical feminist framework, as proposed by Skeat et al. (2022), was used to analyze how female educators navigate these perceptions and the power dynamics inherent in mandated dress code policies within rural teaching environments. The study was guided by one primary research question and seven sub-questions. The methodology used was an interpretive feminist qualitative study, that included two-phase semi-structured interview sessions. The study participants were female educators with visible tattoos who were either currently or previously employed in rural teaching districts that mandated the covering of visible tattoos as part of their employee dress code. Data analysis was conducted through the lens of a critical feminist framework (Skeat et al., 2022). This approach facilitated the identification of several key themes, including gendered power dynamics, the social construction of gender, gender socialization, agency and empowerment. These themes emerged as significant factors in understanding the experiences of visibly tattooed female educators within the context of rural teaching environments and restrictive dress code policies.

OCLC Number

1517961272

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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