Power and Agency in Education: Exploring the Pedagogical Dimensions of Funds of Knowledge

The purpose of this article is to explore the pedagogical dimensions of the Funds of Knowledge (FoK) framework and approach with a focus on the role of power and agency in the sites where such teaching and learning takes place. This analysis is undertaken to make the pedagogies and associated power implications of the FoK work more explicit to allow one to consider critically the broader purposes attached to teaching and learning when framed and guided by the FoK approach. By situating the FoK framework within the context of counter-hegemonic movements in educational theory and practice, the endeavor to examine the power and agency elements of FoK is further supported by interaction with the Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework, given its focus on recognizing community assets to counter the pervasive cultural deficit characterizations of minoritized populations. To attend to these analytical pursuits, the author begins this article by describing and situating the FoK framework and approach as established by Amanti, Gonzalez, Greenberg, Moll, Velez-Ibanez, and other associates, which will provide some initial contextualization of the work reviewed in this analysis. Next, the author presents the critical review of the FoK literature to discuss the within and beyond school pedagogies revealed in the settings represented in these studies. The author follows this up with an examination of the power and agency discourses reflected within this body of literature to further chart the evolution of thought and practice within the FoK work. This leads to her placing FoK and the CCW framework in theoretical dialogue as a means to further expand one's understanding of the particular contributions of these frameworks in countering the pervasiveness of cultural deficit models in education. Finally, the author offers brief concluding remarks. (Contains 4 notes.)