Towards A Posthuman Theory Of Educational Relationality

Towards a Posthuman Theory of Educational Relationality

Towards a Posthuman Theory of Educational Relationality critically reads the intersubjective theories on educational relations and uses a posthuman approach to ascribe agency relationally to humans and nonhumans alike. The book introduces the concept of ‘educational relationality’ and contains examples of nonhuman elements of technology and animals, putting educational relationality and other concepts into context as part of the philosophical investigation. Drawing on educational and posthuman theorists, it answers questions raised in ongoing debates regarding the roles of students and teachers in education, such as the foundations of educational relations and how these can be challenged. The book explores educational relations within the field of philosophy of education. After critically examining intersubjective approaches to theories of educational relations, anthropocentrism and subject-centrism are localized as two problematic aspects. Post-anthropocentrism and intra-relationality are proposed as a theoretical framework, before the book introduces and develops a posthuman theory of educational relations. The analysis is executed through a diffractive reading of intersubjective theories, resulting in five co-concepts: impermanence, uniqueness-as-relationality, proximity, edu-activity, and intelligibility. The analysis provided through educational examples demonstrates the potential of using the proposed theory in everyday practices. Towards a Posthuman Theory of Educational Relationality will be of great interest to researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of philosophy of education, early childhood education, research methodology and curriculum studies.

Cutting Through Water

Knowledge Beyond Colour Lines

Knowledge remains timely in education. The need for academics to contemplate its relevance, worth, use and everything in-between deems a continuous intellectual project, rather than a conundrum to be solved. This book takes the South African context by the horns as it challenges the often dormant and traditionalist ways in which higher education spaces see knowledge. Through original research and the voices of academics and students, this book argues for repurposing knowledge generation, knowledge sharing and critical pedagogy so that more inclusive teaching and learning environments can be both imagined and sustained. The contentious tensionalities that this creates for LoLT and SoTL, in particular, are unlocked so as to trouble the South African higher education landscape with the intent to proffer alternative pathways for a knowledge beyond colour lines. Prof Shan Simmonds (PhD) NWU This edited volume bristles with fresh scholarly approaches and insights of an emergent generation of engaged scholars grappling with the issues and problems of higher education in South Africa. The issues dealt with here are varied and encompassing. They are treated with intellectual delicacy and probing sensitivity, articulacy, informed data and bold conclusions. They serve well! Prof. Kwesi Kwaa Prah Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of the Western Cape Founder of the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society