SPRING SEMINAR
Wednesday 7th March
Julie Allan - Stirling University
Time: 4.00pm - 5.30pm
Location: Simon 0.03
Difference in policy and politics.
Abstract:
In this seminar I will report on work with politicians and policymakers at a European level over a period of four years. The purpose of this work, which included a Council of Europe Project, Policies and practices for socio-cultural diversity, two ministerial conferences and several ‘high level’ meetings, was to try to establish dialogues relating to diversity and to stimulate decision-making. Key ideas from philosophy (principally informed by the work of Derrida, 1993, and Levinas, 1969) informed the dialogues with administrators and ministers and strategies for interrupting the hegemony of difference as deficit (such as the framing of policy obligations as aporias, Derrida, 1993) were deployed, whilst working within a familiar context of teacher competences. The engagement with these ideas and strategies, and the administrators and politicians’ responses to them, are reported. The outcomes suggest an openness and receptiveness to rethinking difference and identities and a recognition of the importance of assisting student teachers in becoming confident in responding to difference, rather than training them to manage difference competently. The relative success of the dialogues provides great optimism about the possibilities for supporting and directing dialogue with administrators and politicians in positive and productive ways.