A Reconstructive Stance to Analyzing Op-Ed Writing as Resistance to “Divisive Concepts” Legislation

Recognizing writing as a powerful form of political resistance, in this article the authors demonstrate how reconstructive discourse analysis (RDA) can be used to make visible how one individual used public media writing to advance movements of educational justice. Combining RDA with theories of argumentation and positioning to analyze an op-ed opposing “divisive concepts” legislation in Indiana, the authors illustrate how the op-ed author constructed the proposed bill as irrational while positioning himself as an authority on the topic. RDA can inform researchers seeking methodological tools to analyze such resistance and practitioners (including teachers, parents, students, and activists) seeking examples of successful forms of resistance. In this article, we demonstrate through one case how literacy researchers can support educators in sustaining their work for racial justice through reconstructive analyses that make visible possibilities of challenging attempts to constrain justice-oriented teaching and learning.