Renee Davy is a PhD candidate in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University and a first-time BILD blogger.

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In the opening of Tuck’s (2009) article, she recounts a popular story from her childhood. Inspired by her approach, I highlight a legendary character from stories in Jamaican and Caribbean folklore: Anansi. Originating in West Africa and brought to the Caribbean by slaves, Anansi, the trickster spider, appears in numerous stories as the main character. He is renowned for his mischief, cunning reputation and his ability to outsmart even the sharpest minds. So much so, that the term Anansi is now used in everyday speech to refer to someone who is a trickster and even inspiring the term Anansi-ism in scholarly literature to refer to trickery in people or systems.

However,  a more profound understanding of Anansi reveals a multitude of remarkable qualities beyond his trickster persona, including his wisdom, humor, resilience, his ability to negotiate and his survival tactics. But in focusing solely on this trickster characteristic, we often overlook these other qualities which highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of his character. It remains intriguing how Anansi is solely associated with the labels of trickster and cunning as if these facets define the entirety of his being. It is truly remarkable how labels can shape our perceptions of individuals.

This phenomenon extends beyond folklore. In educational research and contexts, we rely on labels such as “at risk,” “problem students,” and “troubled youth” to refer to students who deal with a variety of issues including academics and behavior. However, these labels often have the same Anansi effect, in that they tend to overshadow the nuanced characteristics of individuals and groups. Labels and terminologies are important and must, therefore, be carefully evaluated, and the negative implications of terms like these should be considered. As Wetherell (2001) argues, discourse (the way in which we talk about groups) has a powerful role in shaping, creating and bringing categories of people with defined characteristics into being.

Several scholars (e.g. Griffin, 1997; Lesko, 2001; Giroux, 2013), problematize labels such as these and argue that labels such as “troubled youth” are a social construct that marginalize particular groups of young people, negatively impacting their self-perception, their agency and their behaviours. For example, the term street youth is often associated with stealing or substance abuse. Even with altruistic intentions, the way researchers label groups can be damaging and can lead to stigmatization, dehumanization and discrimination and can inadvertently misrepresent entire communities (Moncrieffe, 2006; Tuck, 2009 b). Goodman (2003) argues that not only does it matter how marginalised youth are named, but also who does the naming. After all, academic research and media have the power to influence the discourse of the wider society (Goodman 2003). Researchers, therefore, must take great care in how they label marginalized groups because language and labelling used in aid of development and social change can have dire consequences.

Understanding the complexity of characters like Anansi can teach us valuable lessons about the power of labels and the importance of recognizing the multifaceted nature of individuals. It teaches us that we should move beyond simplistic labels that limit our understanding and appreciation of the rich, diverse identities within our communities.

References

Goodman, S. (2003). Teaching youth media: A critical guide to literacy, video production & social change (Vol. 36). Teachers College Press.

Giroux, H. A. (2013). America’s education deficit and the war on youth: Reform beyond electoral politics. NYU Press.

Griffin, C. (1997). Troubled teens: Managing disorders of transition and consumption. Feminist Review, 55(1), 4–21.

Lesko, N. (2012). Act your age!: A cultural construction of adolescence. Routledge.

Pinnock, D. (2015). Anansi (personal communication).

Moncrieffe, J. (2006). The Power of Stigma: Encounters with ‘Street Children’ and ‘Restavecs’. IDS Bulletin, 37(6), 34–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1759-5436.2006.tb00321.x

Tuck, E. (2009a). Re-visioning action: Participatory action research and Indigenous theories of change. The Urban Review, 41, 47-65.

Tuck, E. (2009). Suspending Damage: A Letter to Communities. Harvard Educational Review, 79(3), 409–428. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.79.3.n0016675661t3n15

Wetherell, M. (2001). Editor’s Introduction. In S. Taylor, S. J. Yates, & M. Wetherell (Eds.), Discourse theory and practice: A reader. Sage.