A Living Theory of a Practice of Social Justice: 
                            
           Realising the Right of Traveller Children to 
                            
                   Educational Equality 
           
           
           
           
           
                      Bernie Sullivan 
           
           
           
          For the award of PhD from the University of Limerick 
           
           
           
          Thesis Supervisor: Professor Jean McNiff 
           
           
           
          Submitted to the University of Limerick, March 2006 
                                                    Table of Contents 
                        
                       Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 
                       Section 1   Chapter 1 Background......................................................................... 24 
                           1:1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 24 
                           1:2 Background to my research......................................................................... 25 
                           1:3  Focus of my research................................................................................... 33 
                           1:4  Aims and purposes of the research.............................................................. 39 
                           1:5 Conclusion................................................................................................... 44 
                       Section 1   Chapter 2 Contexts............................................................................... 45 
                           2:1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 45 
                           2:2 Personal context........................................................................................... 45 
                           2:3 Locational context....................................................................................... 59 
                           2:4 Cultural context........................................................................................... 66 
                           2:5 Policy context.............................................................................................. 82 
                           2:6 Educational policy context.......................................................................... 87 
                           2:7 Conclusion................................................................................................... 91 
                       Section 2   Chapter 3 Issues of Social Justice and Equality................................ 93 
                           3:1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 93 
                           3:2  My understanding of social justice.............................................................. 94 
                           3:3  Social justice and education ...................................................................... 100 
                           3:4  Social justice and the issue of power......................................................... 111 
                           3:5 Conclusion................................................................................................. 114 
                       Section 2   Chapter 4 Methodology...................................................................... 116 
                           4:1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 116 
                           4:2  My action research methodology .............................................................. 118 
                           4:3 Critical emancipatory theory..................................................................... 124 
                           4:4 Generative transformational approach....................................................... 126 
                           4:5  Living educational theory.......................................................................... 127 
                           4:6 Practitioner research.................................................................................. 129 
                           4:7 Reflective practice..................................................................................... 131 
                           4:8  Influence of methodology on my criteria and standards of judgement..... 133 
                           4:9  Requirement of equality in my methodology............................................ 136 
                           4:10 Research design......................................................................................... 137 
                           4:11 Research participants................................................................................. 139 
                           4:12 Ethical considerations................................................................................ 142 
                           4:13 Research location....................................................................................... 143 
                           4:14 Conclusion................................................................................................. 144 
                       Section 3   Chapter 5 Data Collection and Analysis........................................... 146 
                       Phase one: My role in providing learning support.............................................. 146 
                           5:1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 146 
                           5:2  My role in providing learning support....................................................... 146 
                           5:3 Vignette 1 .................................................................................................. 152 
                           5:4 Vignette 2 .................................................................................................. 158 
                           5:5 Vignette 3 .................................................................................................. 164 
                           5:6 Vignette 4 .................................................................................................. 168 
                           5:7 Conclusion................................................................................................. 176 
                       Section 3   Chapter 6 Data collection and analysis............................................. 177 
                       Phase two: Exploring cultural issues.................................................................... 177 
                           6:1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 177 
                           6:2  Children’s experiences of discrimination.................................................. 182 
                           6:3  The other in the creation of self identity.................................................... 188 
                           6:4  Culture and second level schooling........................................................... 194 
                           6:5  The project on Traveller culture................................................................ 200 
                           6:6 Conclusion................................................................................................. 203 
                       Section 3   Chapter 7 Data collection and analysis............................................. 205 
                       Phase three: The after school group..................................................................... 205 
                           7:1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 205 
                           7:2  Beginning of the initiative......................................................................... 207 
                           7:3  First year of the after school group............................................................ 208 
                           7:4  Second year of the project......................................................................... 212 
                           7:5  Introduction of settled children to the after school group ......................... 216 
                           7:6  When the minority group is temporarily in the majority position............. 220 
                           7:7 Cultural divide........................................................................................... 222 
                           7:8 The question of identity............................................................................. 223 
                           7:9  The influence of the after school group on the education of wider social 
                                formations.................................................................................................. 229 
                           7:10 Conclusion................................................................................................. 233 
                       Section 4   Chapter 8 Findings............................................................................. 235 
                           8:1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 235 
                           8:2 Structural and organisational issues .......................................................... 236 
                           8:3  How my living theory of the practice of social justice incorporates insights 
                                from Rawls’s distributive theory of justice ............................................... 240 
                           8:4  Misconceptions in the practice of equality................................................ 245 
                           8:5 Conceptual frameworks............................................................................. 250 
                           8:6  The idea of positive resistance................................................................... 254 
                           8:7  Linking issues of ethnicity, identity, inclusion and interculturalism......... 256 
                           8:8  Difference and diversity ............................................................................ 260 
                           8:9 Pedagogical Issues..................................................................................... 263 
                           8:10 Conclusion................................................................................................. 270 
                       Section 4   Chapter 9 Reflections on the research, its significance and potential 
                                implications.............................................................................................. 271 
                           9:1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 271 
                           9:2  My claim to have made a contribution to new educational practices........ 273 
                           9:3  My claim to have contributed to a new form of educational theory.......... 286 
                           9:4 Significance for myself.............................................................................. 293 
                           9:5 Conclusion................................................................................................. 298 
                       Bibliography............................................................................................................ 301 
                                                                  
                                                          Appendices 
                        
                        
                       Appendix A: Transcript of taped conversation with four Traveller children          1
                        
                       Appendix B: Transcript of video recording of discussion with eight 
                                     Traveller children                                                   4
                        
                       Appendix C: Letter of permission from principal                                    7
                        
                       Appendix D: Letter of permission from parents                                      8
                        
                       Appendix E: Letter of permission from children                                     9
                        
                       Appendix F: Ethics statement                                                      10
                        
                       Appendix G: Spelling test 1                                                       11
                        
                       Appendix H: Spelling test 2                                                       12