Profile
Heidi Schneider is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology at University of California, San Diego. As a first generation, transfer student, Ms. Schneider has first-hand knowledge of the complex individual and social forces that prevent millions of students from equal access to education. Her passion to restore equity to our education system inspires her research; Ms. Schneider studies how educational inequality is reproduced by the intersection of identity, face-to-face interaction and the politics of contested meaning. In her dissertation, she explores how disrespectful classroom culture is initiated by societal forces but co-produced by teachers and students inside the classroom, which contributes directly to failure for some students and indirectly to a sense of alienation for all students. Ms. Schneider’s research contributes theoretically to literature that examines the reproduction of inequities in the education system while also offering empirical evidence and suggestions for educators who may be locked into the struggle for respect with students. Overall, her research points to the necessity of maintaining a respectful classroom culture to increase student engagement and academic success and decrease teacher fatigue. Ms. Schneider will continue her research on how inequality is reproduced through face-to-face interaction in schools and other institutions, while pursuing her long-term goal of becoming a Professor of Sociology.
