Hawke Research Institute
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A conference convened by the
Hawke Research Institute for Sustainable Societies
&
Yunggorendi First Nations Centre for Higher Education and Research
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This conference reflects on the pedagogical challenges
presented by ‘new forms’ of racism that are distorting our societies.
The papers and the discussion will be providing new theorizations of racism
and proposing pedagogical tactics as a skilful response.
Room H1-44, Magill Campus
9.00am -
4.00pm
Conference program
SPEAKERS
Thinking beyond race
Professor Pal Ahluwalia,
University of South Australia
It’s more hopeful to talk about ‘our own stuff’ that to talk about racism
Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, University of Waikato,
New Zealand
(Unfortunatley Linda was unable to attend due to ill health)
What’s anger got to do with it?: A post-indignation pedagogy for communities in conflict
Assistant Professor Michalinos Zembylas,
Open University of Cyprus
Globalization as the ‘new’ colonization: Indigenous resistance
Associate Professor Sandy Grande,
Connecticut College
Fabricating ‘Pacific Islander’: The pedagogy of expropriation, return and resistance and other lessons from a ‘Multicultural Day’
Professor Deborah Youdell, University of London
Futuring whiteness in education: Between reconstruction and abolition
Associate Professor Zeus Leonardo,
University of California
The modern seduction of race: The whither social constructivism?
Professor Crain Soudien, University of Cape Town
LPLC audio and video recordings - including Antiracism conference speakers
CONFERENCE PROVOCATION
Our lives are increasingly affected by technologies of power and knowledge that
operate globally. There are major shifts in global realities and sensibilities,
exemplified by the events of September 2001 and the global flow of displaced
people. As a result, fear and suspicion of ethnic, racial and religious
difference has intensified in recent years and threatens to damage the fragile
network of relationships that holds societies together. Such events indicate
that security cannot be maintained solely through military and police powers, no
matter how technologically sophisticated. There also needs to be skilful
pedagogical work conducted in social institutions, including schools. This work
needs to be aware of the new complexities and provide resources for reconciling
ethnic, racial, and religious differences in ways that foster understanding
social justice and co-existence.
Recent work on antiracist education is now working with two propositions that are significant. Firstly, despite our efforts ‘racism has not stopped growing’ (Flecha, 1999) and antiracist pedagogies ‘might actually foster racism rather than overcome it’ (p. 169). As well, ‘racism continues to manifest itself in new and alarming ways’ (p. 150) that demand new educational tools. As Flecha argues, recent manifestations of racism no longer stress the ideas of inequality among races but instead assert cultural differences among ethnicities. We need antiracist pedagogies that pursue ways of strengthening or making the network of social relationships more durable and hence build trust, reciprocity, mutuality, civic responsibility, solidarity and integrity.
In this conference, we want to reflect on the pedagogical challenges presented by ‘new forms’ of racism that are distorting our societies. The papers and the discussion will be providing new theorizations of racism and proposing pedagogical tactics as a skilful response. This meeting takes up the issue of political-pedagogical work within/against ‘critical pedagogy’ which is understood as a significant educational movement that is neither homogeneous nor coherent, and one that is open to ongoing reflexivity. ‘Critical pedagogy’ provides an ‘emancipatory’ social vision for pedagogical work that rejects views of pedagogy that are ahistorical, depoliticized, and positivist. Against critical pedagogy, there is still much to do to properly elaborate how we might learn to live together in societies of ever increasing cultural complexity. It is important to also acknowledge that these efforts are being dominated by an ideology of ‘backlash politics’. Backlash politics is an assault on thought, fears diversity, suffers amnesia, blames victims, and enshrines the status quo. Backlash pedagogies appear to be contributing to an intensification of divisiveness rather than providing the resources for living with differences that foster understanding, social justice and co-existence.
Flecha, R. (1999) Modern and postmodern racism in Europe: Dialogic approach and antiracist pedagogies. Harvard Educational Review, 69(2): 150-171.
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