Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper examines the efforts of an alternative, Christian high school to re-engage dropouts by building caring, solidary relationships between teachers and students. Ethnographic data and in-depth interviews are employed to elucidate how these personalistic attachments influenced students' academic performance, attitudes toward school, and motivation to continue their education. The tensions engendered by the school's personalistic orientation are also discussed, and particular attention is given to the disparate meanings teachers and students attach to their affectively-charged relationships, the inherent conflict between teachers' authority and friendship roles, and the recurring problem of efficacy.