Actionable Postcolonial Theory in Education

Andreotti illustrates how postcolonial theory is applied in the contexts of educational research/critique and in pioneering pedagogical projects. She offers an accessible and useful overview and comparison of theoretical debates related to critiques of Western/Northern hegemony.

"'Below' is a concept-metaphor to describe historical cognitive damage visited upon groups brought up for manual labor and punished for intellectual labor as disobedience, for centuries, not necessarily connected to European colonialism. Subalternity names a condition separated from historical generalizability. Can these lead to institutional practice? Actionable Postcolonial Theory attempts an answer." - Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University

"Vanessa Andreotti weaves together in a clear, accessible and above all personal manner, the importance of postcolonial theories to education today. She critiques policies and practices in England around development and international education and bravely brings in connections to her own family educational experiences. A hugely significant publication for all concerned with the debates around power, inequality and social change within education." - Doug Bourn, Director, Development Education Research Centre, Institute of Education, London

"This book is greeted with pleasure by those who want to keep the 'post traditions' alive. It is a useful guide to how unruly - and important - postcolonial theory can work, both in educational scholarship and in thinking about educational practice." - Alison Jones, Professor of Education, University of Auckland

"Actionable Postcolonial Theory in Education is a thoughtful and welcome addition to the growing conversations about postcolonial theory and its effects on the full range of scholarly activities by faculty and students. In an educational terrain of deepening cynicism, this book will provide a welcome constellation of principles and procedures for the creation of 'safe spaces of inquiry' that should work as accessible entry points into issues concerned with social and global issues. This book shares a selection of sources and presents illustrations for how postcolonial theory can be put to work in negotiating educational discourses." - Angus Hikairo Macfarlane, Professor of Maori Research, University of Canterbury

"Enables the reader to see the development of ideas from theory through to practice . . . a vital and original contribution to Curriculum Studies." - Fran Martin, Senior Lecturer, Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter

Autorentext

Vanessa Andreotti is a professor of Global Education at the University of Oulu in Finland. She is also associated with the University of Canterbury in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Inhalt
PART I: POSTCOLONIALISMS AND POSTCOLONIAL THEORIES Contextualizing Postcolonialisms and Postcolonial Theories Homi Bhabha's Contribution and Critics Gayatri Spivak's Contribution and Critics Comparative Framework: Selected Theories of Institutional Suffering PART II: ACTIONING POSTCOLONIAL THEORY IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Contextualizing the Research Process Analysis of Policy I: Focus on Western Liberal Humanism Analysis of Policy II: Focus on Neoliberalism Analysis of Practice I: the Other Who Validates our Superiority Analysis of Practice II: the Other Who Should be Grateful for our Efforts Analysis of Practice III: the Other Who Desperately Needs our Leadership PART III: ACTIONING POSTCOLONIAL PEDAGOGIES Contextualizing Pedagogical Processes and Contexts Relativizing Western Knowledge Production in Spaces of Dissensus The OSDE methodology Engaging with Other Knowledge Systems: the Through Other Eyes Initiative Wrestling with Meaning and Life: Being a Mother of Immigrant Children