Doing Democracy in Education: Conceptualizing a Social Justice Role for Educators

1
Doing Democracy in Education Conceptualizing a
Social Justice Role for Educators

• Paul R. Carr Gina Thésée
• Youngstown State University Université du
  Québec à Montréal
• AERA
• Chicago, April 9-13, 2007

2
Overview

• Key concepts
• Political literacy
• Epistemological literacy
• Framework
• Neo-liberalism
• Democracy
• Social Justice
• Methodology
• Study on College of Education students re
  democracy
• Analysis on teacher education in Montreal
• Proposals

3
Political literacy

• Do we teach for political literacy
  (Schugurensky)?
• Must political literacy be taught in an explicit
  way, or can it be learned through osmosis (Davies
  Hogarth)?
• What are the considerations for teaching, or not,
  political literacy (Giroux)?
• How are educators and students engaged in
  cultivating political literacy, and how does this
  relate to democracy and social justice (Carr)?
• What are the implications for neglecting
  political literacy in education (Parker)?
• How does political literacy relate to patriotism
  and critical engagement in schools (Westheimer
  and Kahne Parker)?
• How does political literacy relate to
  neoliberalism (McLaren)?

4
Critical literacy as a precondition for self- and
social-empowerment (Giroux)

• the language of literacy is almost exclusively
  linked to popular forms of liberal and right-wing
  discourse that reduce it to either a functional
  perspective tied to narrowly coerced economic
  interests or to a logic designed to initiate the
  poor, the underprivileged, and minorities into
  the ideology of a unitary, dominant cultural
  tradition. In the first instance, the crisis in
  literacy is predicated on the need to train more
  workers for occupational jobs that demand
  functional reading and writing skills. In the
  second instance, literacy becomes the ideological
  vehicle through which to legitimate schooling as
  a site for character development in this case,
  literacy is associated with the transmission and
  mastery of a unitary Western tradition based on
  the virtues of hard work, industry, respect for
  family, institutional authority, and an
  unquestioning respect for the nation.
• emancipatory pedagogy

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Thick vs Thin democracy (Gandin Apple)

• Freire
• link between humanization and dehumanization as
  well as between oppressors and oppressed
• the banking concept of education as an
  instrument of oppression
• the process of liberation and critical
  consciousness (conscientizacao) through/in
  education and
• the fundamental importance of culture in shaping
  the educational and political experience
• power inside and outside of the classroom.

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Neo-liberalism

• Political economy
• devotion to the market place
• homogenization of culture
• disregard of human rights
• concentration of power
• Kyoto, International Criminal Court, World Bank,
  Iraq
• fear of not participating in war (alliance in
  the war against terrorism) ?enhanced patriotism
• role of media
• diminished distribution of resources (Wall
  Mart(ization))

7
Neo-liberalism

• The most flagrant and widely deplored
  contradiction is between Americans self image as
  a force of democracy and human rights and a
  reality in which many rights at home are sharply
  limited, the death penalty continues along with
  torture of enemy combatants, while the US
  repudiates the international laws of war. Abroad
  the US support of dictators and its failure to
  protect victims of genocide in Rwanda and Darfur
  have contributed greatly to anti-Americanism.
  Foreigners can observe for themselves, on the one
  hand, the weakness of public services throughout
  the US, the cult of low taxes, and the distrust
  of any redistributive role of government and, on
  the other hand, the formidable apparatus of
  American military and intelligence services
  throughout the world and in the US itself
  (Hoffman).

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Neo-liberalism in education

• Free-market support and ideology
• Standardization of testing, curriculum, outcomes
• Privatization
• Efficiency
• Employability as an ideology
• Business involvement in all aspects of education
• Diminishing place for democracy, citizenship and
  social justice
• Reduced investments
• Military connection to education (recruitment,
  curriculum)
• Nebulous notion of accountability (i.e., NCLB)

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Indoctrination as a modus operandi

• (citizenship education can now be characterized
  as) creating false crises, sloganeering, setting
  up false dichotomies, grossly over simplifying
  both problems and solutions, and the demonizing
  of opponents and alternatives. The cult-like
  mantras that sometimes dominate our discourses
  are consistent with an indoctrination approach to
  citizenship education in that they are much more
  focused on creating true believers than on
  listening to alternatives or making substantive
  arguments (Sears and Hughes).

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Democracy and political literacy College of
Education students

• A critical appreciation and analysis of democracy
  as a philosophy, ethos, political system and
  cultural phenomenon is only thinly articulated.
• Little commentary on critical thinking, politics
  as a way of life, power-sharing, the
  decision-making process, the role of the media,
  alternative systems, and social responsibility.
• Almost all of the participants focus on elections
  as the pivotal underpinning to democracy.
  Graduate students are generally more engaged.
• Almost all participants-- although extremely
  supportive of democracy in the US-- are
  dissatisfied with a number of aspects associated
  with democracy (i.e., elections, issues raised,
  elected officials).
• US democracy is often considered to be a model,
  far preferable to what exists in other
  systems/countries however, there does not appear
  to be a strong understanding of what democracy
  looks like elsewhere.

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Democracy and political literacy College of
Education students

• Excessive emphasis on presidential politics when
  talking about democracy, eclipsing local,
  regional and international issues.
• The connection between education and democracy is
  a nebulous one, with many participants
  questioning the foundation of such a linkage.
• General rejection of the notion that politics
  should be part of education.
• Civic engagement is understood in very narrow
  terms, concentrated within a specific
  class/course or associated with elections.
• The critical area of social justice, especially
  in relation to race and poverty, is not fully
  supported as an integral part of the teaching
  about/for democracy.
• Significant differences between African-American
  and White participants in relation to the place
  and significance of social justice in education.

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Experiencing Democracy Apathy

• I don't really know what being actively engaged
  would include. (12/G/F/W/2)
• I watch news but never really pay attention.
  (37/U/F/W/1)
• I'm not too involved. I'm not a huge fan of
  politics. (41/U/F/W/1)
• I am not involved with any public issues for or
  against. (13/G/F/A/5)
• I could be more active by voicing my concerns,
  but I don't have time for that. (17U/F/W/1)
• Got my own problems out here, work, school,
  bills, etc. (68/U/M/A/2)
• I don't know much about politics. (81/U/F/W/1)

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Weak Connection Between Teaching and Democracy

• Truthfully, I would be more concerned w/ teaching
  standards. (5/G/M/W/4)
• I probably won't be teaching this but if I did
  I'd be concerned. Mostly because this subject
  does not come easily for me. (43/U/F/W/1)
• I want to be a math teacher. (32/U/F/W/1)
• As a music education major citizenship is not a
  subject in my curriculum-However, I can be a good
  influence by being a good citizen. (42/U/F/W/1)
• I am a math (science) major. (46/U/F/W/1)
• Im going into gym. (51/U/M/W/1)
• I don't see how it relates to my subject areas
  however if I could put something into my lessons
  (if it was appropriate) I would. (71/U/F/W/2)

14
Negative School Experience re Democracy

• I remember high school "government" and history
  classes as being somewhat of a joke. the
  teachers "taught", the students "learned," and
  dialogue was pretty much non-existent.
  (124/U/F/W/5)
• Hell no, went to a city school football there
  had an impact on democracy for me. (68/U/M/A/2)
• I didn't fall into the crowd. (16/U/M/W/1)
• Rarely were we taught that citizenship was a
  responsibility to engage debate. Rather,
  citizenship was conceived as a responsibility to
  uphold and conform. (4/G/M/W/4)
• I went to 2 high schools that never talked about
  the government and even in my social studies
  classes. (114/U/F/W/1)

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Positive School Experience Focus on Voting

• I began thinking for myself in high school and
  realized for the first time that the things I
  agreed with were really my thoughts, not my
  parents. (19/U/F/W/1)
• My teachers taught me to be open minded and ask
  questions, especially when it comes to
  government. (22/U/M/O/1)
• High school prepared me to do the right thing, to
  vote and to work hard. (14/U/F/W/1)
• My high school taught me the responsibilities of
  being a good citizen. The best way to be a good
  citizen is to vote every 4 years for the person
  we believe would be better for this country.
  (74/U/M/W/1)
• We read books on the constitution and rules about
  the flag. But basically we were mostly encouraged
  to vote. (126/U/F/W/1)

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Teaching Democracy Concern about Imparting
Values and Indoctrination

• They should teach students their rights, but not
  instill this "sense of democracy" to the point
  where the students are indoctrinated.
  (11/U/F/W/1)
• Teachers should never be allowed to (present)
  information to their students about choosing
  democracy over anything else. A student should
  have their own right as to which party they would
  be a part of. (74/U/M/W/1)
• I think teachers should inform their students but
  need to be careful not to pursue any answers.
  (84/U/F/W/1)
• I believe that values are important to teach as
  long as the teacher does not try to indoctrinate
  the student. (3/G/M/W/4)
• No, because when they try to do so their
  political views come out. (25/U/F/W/1)

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Teaching Democracy Teachers Should

• Yes teachers, other than parents are the 1st
  influence on a child and have great opportunities
  to instill these democratic values in students.
  (122/U/M/W/1)
• Yes, I believe that teachers can model democracy
  every day. From the way the class is run,
  classroom rules, the assignments, all should have
  a voice in the decisions. I do not belong to the
  students' "world" I need to "dialogue" with them
  in order to gain an orientation. (124/U/F/W/5)
• Absolutely! Teachers should emulate democracy
  and reflect a positive role model of the
  democratic process. (8/G/M/W/5)
• Yes, the social studies dept. should. They are
  capable of stating their opinions. (14/U/F/W/1)
• They should because it is important and yes,
  teachers are capable of establishing democratic
  values in students. (90/U/F/W/2)

18
Democracy and Social Justice Weak Connection

• Most injustice is rooted deeply within
  individuals- not easily fixed by social
  initiatives. (3/G/M/W/4)
• Why would racism be an issue in democracy
  nowadays? (26/U/M/W/1)
• Racism is only an important issue if someone
  makes it one. In the end, votes have no color.
  (126/U/F/W/1)
• It shouldn't be an issue. An American citizen is
  an American citizen. Americans of all races
  should take advantage of our democracy.
  (19U/F/W/1)
• Race doesn't matter, everyone is equal.
  (102/U/F/W/1)

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Understanding that Racism is Critical

• A racist society is not fully democratic. Sadly,
  I believe the U.S. is a racist society.
  (9/G/F/O/4)
• It's sad to me that people still judge each other
  on appearance, but I cannot deny it still goes
  on. If racism didn't impact democracy then why
  have we not had an ethnic president? (71/U/F/W/2)
• In the U.S. racism, a social construct, is used
  to justify or rationalize the allocation of
  resources by those who control the majority of
  the resources. Many are duped to believe that
  because they resemble those in control that
  decisions are made to benefit or include them
  too. (129/G/M/A/5)
• Having equal rights is important to democracy and
  racism is a violation of our equal rights.
  (12/G/F/W/2)
• I feel we will have a female president before a
  black one. (47/U/M/W/1)

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Understanding of Systemic Inequities

• Rich people seem to always have more than poor
  people when it comes to politics and rights.
  (17U/F/W/1)
• Those who have power and influence -and "know
  people"- can usually achieve things others
  cannot. Getting out of trouble, favors, etc.
  (43/U/F/W/1)
• The more important or even "rich" a person is,
  they can get away with more things than an
  average person would. (35/U/M/W/1)
• Some laws are skewed to favor people. The people
  in power make the laws so they are the ones who
  get the most out of them. (71/U/F/W/2)

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Imagine

• We are in Montrealin a school
• Then, let s flight to Parisin a museum
• Lets come back here, in Chicagoin a church

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Social construction of this knowledge

• Implicit or explicit
• Different forms
  (pictures,
  symbols, social representations, beliefs, rules,
  consensus, laws, theories, etc.
• In all social spaces
  (institutions,
  medias, research)
• In education
  (Validation/Maintenance/Transmission/Reproduction)
  
• In all disciplines of the curriculum
  (natural sciences,
  music, arts, human and social sciences,
  literature, religion)
• Subtile, unconscious, insidious
• Very efficient

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Toxicity of knowledge

• Silence (without voice)
• Passivity (inhibition of action)
• Omission (anesthesia of memory)
• Disenfranchisement (you are an object)
• Alienation (you are a stranger to yourself)
• Low self-esteem (you do not like yourself)
• Disempowerment (no control of your own life or in
  the community or on social transformation)
• Erosion of the self (up-rooted from ones culture)

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Knowledge society and knowledge economy
Epistemological Racism

• Not interpersonal
• Not institutional
• Not societal
• Civilizational (anchored in the historical
  dynamic of contacts between oppressors and
  oppressed)

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4 Levels of racism (Scheurich)
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Educative model used to form teachers
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The relations in the educative modelWhats in?
Whats out? (50 - 50)

• Subject Agent (pedagogical romanticized)
• Agent Object (teaching professionalized)
• Object Subject (learning psychologized)
• Subject Context (cultural/social)
• Agent Context (cultural/social)
• Object Context (cultural/epistemological)

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An entry for Critical Pedagogythe Freires
notion of literacy

• Political Literacy
• Adressing cultural and social relations
• Critiquing inequitable power relations
• Epistemological Literacy
• Adressing cultural and epistemological relations
• Decolonizing the mind
• Pursuing resiliency toward resistance

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A model for Resistance-Resiliency to hegemonic
oppression

• Refuse
• Saying No to toxic knowledge refusing to be the
  Other as defined
• Re-Question
• Deconstructing concepts, theories,
  representations, stereotypes
• Re-Define
• Re-appropriating the power of knowledge/culture
• Re-Affirm!
• Speaking out, and saying Yes to Self
• Heal the memory
• Participate actively
• Struggle against disenfranchisement

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A model for Resistance-Resiliency to hegemonic
oppression

• Refuse
• toxic discourses infused into the mind
  continuously in everyday life
• present strong symbolic, implicit and explicit
  content, including images, styles, attitudes or
  relations shaping the media and artistic
  productions.
• Re-questioning
• address issues of scientific knowledge and
  scientific myths which validate the dominant
  knowledge and invalidate the others.
• De-construct those how and how much?, seeking
  only the recipe and measurable goals in various
  situations
• re-questioning the How?, therefore, shatters
  the certainty and rigidity of certain
  methodologies.

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A model for Resistance-Resiliency to hegemonic
oppression

• 3) Re-define
• knowledge in all its dimensions that is social in
  nature (ontology, aesthetics, methodology,
  axiology, ethics)
• formal traits of knowledge include concepts,
  basic principles, rules, laws and theories which
  have been formalized through periods of
  inert-subjectivity and broad consensus.
• 4) Re-affirm
• reconstruction of the self is necessary in order
  to deviate from the pervasive Eurocentric view
• advancing in the resistance-resiliency process is
  intended to affirm the collective self at all
  levels.

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Discussion

• Are political and epistemological literacy
  achievable within an education-system dominated
  by neo-liberalism?
• As highlighted by Freire, education cannot be
  disconnected from societal concerns what are the
  most desirable social manifestations to support
  political and epistemological literacy in
  education?
• How critical is it to have teachers become more
  engaged in cultivating political and
  epistemological literacy in schools?
• What should be our role in promoting political
  and epistemological literacy in teacher
  education?

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Thank you!

• Mèsi Anpil!
• !Muchas Gracias!
• Obrigada! Obrigado!
• Merci beaucoup !