The dangers of compassion: The positioning of refugee students in policy and education research and implications for teacher education

This article considers timely effects of globalization on the American educational system, particularly as social science researchers attempt to "know" students from a variety of cultural backgrounds and migration journeys. This article locates its inquiry in discourse on refugees and considers how researchers and teacher preparation programs may disrupt the "therapeutic paradigm" and the "trauma discourse" that circulates around the refugee student and positions him/her as vulnerable (Ingamells & Westoby, 2008). This article critiques research on refugees that dangerously shapes pedagogic action because much of it approaches refugee students through psychological lenses that position refugees like vulnerable problems to be fixed through education and other services. This article challenges us to reconsider the discourse that social science research produces, and the effects of discourse on the lived experiences of individuals. This is critical as we prepare teachers for building relationships with diverse students, particularly with students occupying refugee status.