Looking Back to Look Forward: An Afrocentric Critical Examination of Agency-Amplifying Methodologies Within Indigenous West African Socialization Systems and American Culturally-Based Pedagogy

In the majority of American schools, the often intentional and systematic erasure of Africana cultural and social contributions from curricular content combined with alienating pedagogical and administrative processes produce a malignant learning environment that has the capacity to interfere with the positive identity and agency development of African American students. In this study, I explore potential means of addressing the current forms of cultural identity dislocation and educational alienation experienced by African American students. I aim to do so by examining the psychological mechanisms of Afrocentric identity and agency development and by exploring how indigenous West African and American culturally-based pedagogies promote the positive development of agency and cultural identity in children. To achieve these aims, I first develop Afrocentric Agency Amplification Theory (AAAT)—a theoretical framework designed to illustrate the specific factors that facilitate the formation and development of an Afrocentric agentic identity for Africana people in general and for African American students specifically. This theoretical framework includes a model of Afrocentric Agency Amplification and a model of Afrocentric Agentic Identity that outline the socialization praxis that will most likely activate, expand or center the development of the thoughts, feelings, and behavioral inclinations that embody the all elements of an agentic Afrocentric consciousness. Then, using this theoretical framework, I conduct a qualitative pilot content analysis of available primary and secondary research that describes the socialization philosophies and practices of various West African ethnic groups along with prominent culturally-based pedagogies that are aimed at enhancing the educational outcomes of African American students. In doing so, this work sheds light on the manner and degree to which West African socialization methodologies and contemporary American culturally-based pedagogies have the potential to amplify the level of Afrocentric agency within African and African American children. By illuminating the values and best practices of agency-building pedagogies, this work helps reorient and extend existing Afrocentric pedagogical research. Building upon the rich theoretical and practical traditions of Afrocentric education, this work contributes to existing endeavors to reclaim the best of our African cultural pasts in the service of crafting a stronger future.