ES2307: Progressive Education

Week 4Progressive Education and Social

Reconstructionism

Tutor: Joan Walton

Around beginning of 20th centuryJohn Dewey and other reformers saw themselves as distinct movement

Wished to humanize and democratise primary and secondary education

Greater emphasis on what went on within the school than on challenging social structure

1960’sLess coherent movementConsisted of number of loosely connected groups

Greater emphasis on challenging dominance of:Power of the stateWhite supremacyDominance of white males in positions of power

Elitism in organisations

Move towards a more radical approach to social change.

Grounded in a philosophy that emphasizes the challenging of existing social structures.

Aim - to create a better society and a worldwide democracy.

Focus on a curriculum that highlights social reform as the aim of education.

Gave an address - "Dare Progressive Education Be Progressive?" (Columbia University 1932)

Considered Progressive Education in 1920’s had failed to change educational curriculum

Argued that the opponents of progressivism supported laissez-faire economics and conservative politics that were responsible for Depression

The classroom should be a place for social consciousness raising and political education

Need to recognise the relationship between class, education and power.

An early promoter of social reconstructionism.Recognized the potential for either: Human annihilation through technology and human cruelty or: The capacity to create a benevolent society using technology and human compassion

A Brazilian brought up in poverty Saw education and literacy as the

means of achieving social change Challenged “teaching as banking," - i.e.

the teacher deposits information into students' heads

Saw teaching as encouraging a process of inquiry

Emphasis on critical reflection Need to change the system in order to

overcome oppression and improve the quality of life for all people

Professor of human geography, Sheffield University.

Dismisses a wide range of progressive policies as ineffective.

Sees the real trend as undermining the wellbeing of individuals, communities and the country.

Dorling identifies five sets of beliefs:ElitismExclusionPrejudiceGreed Despair – He claims these are replacing Beveridge's five social evils at the dawn of the welfare state (ignorance, want, idleness, squalor and disease)These have become so entrenched in Britain and other affluent countries that they maintin an unjust system that perpetuates extreme inequality.

 "The beliefs are supported by the media where stories often imply that some people are less deserving, where great City businessmen (and a few businesswomen) are lauded as superheroes, and where immigrants looking to work for a crumb of the City's bonuses are seen as scroungers.”

"Inequalities in the more unequal affluent countries are sustained largely because of the political rhetoric of such countries“

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/apr/21/danny-dorling-charles-dickens-social-inequality