Session Information
10 SES 02 A, Research on Values, Beliefs and Understandings in Teacher Education
Paper Session
Contribution
Bauman (1993, 2001) emphasizes the notion of freedom as the token of the moral self and illuminates the rootless self in the postmodern world. Ziehe (1993) maintains that youths are culturally laid off, that is, their forming of identity is released from tradition and culture in different forms. Pluralism and critical questioning of traditional values also challenge education in schools and teacher education. Moral and citizenship education, including norms and values, are in most Western countries emphasized as an important part or the foundation in education. However, moral and political currents are blowing in different directions. The individual autonomy has been raised as a vigorous and all-embracing value (Bauman 2001, Orlenius & Bigsten 2008, Orlenius 2004), combined with deregulation of permanent and solid norms and values. Postmodern trends with stress on diversity, pluralism, relativism, individual rights, and independence are for instance emphasized in the Swedish curriculum as a core value (‘individual freedom and integrity’). The mission of schools is to support the process of individuality. On the other hand, the aim of education is fostering to loyalty, generosity, responsibility in terms of collective well-being (‘solidarity between human beings’ according to the Swedish School Act (SFS 2010:800)). What kind of values do children and youngsters express in this sense, and are there any differences between these students and prospective teachers?
Initially, a challenge in the project has been to operationalize the concepts individuality and solidarity (Levinsen 2006; Juul 2002; Rehg 1997). “Solidarity is a term that is widely used, but notoriously hard to define” (Derpmann 2008, p. 303). Solidarity is seen as moral obligations and the research question concerns the tension between autonomy and relatedness in terms of caring and moral responsibility regarding rights and welfare for others (Fajans 2006). In the project focus is on ethical perspectives regarding these core concepts, and they are more distinctly elaborated in the coming paper as a theoretical point of view.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Bauman, Z (1993) Postmodern Ethics. Oxford: Blackwell. Bauman, Z. (2001). The Individualized Society. Cambridge: Polity Press Derpmann, S (2008). Solidarity and Cosmopolitanism. Ethic Theory Moral Practice 12, 303-315. Fajans, J. (2006). Autonomy and Relatedness. Emotions and the Tension between Individuality and Sociality. Critique of Anthropology 26(1), 103-119. Juul, S. (2002). Modernitet, velfaerd og solidaritet. En undersögelse av danskernes moraliske forpligtelser. [Modernity, wellfare and solidarity. A study on Danish peoples’ obligations]. Kobenhavn: Hans Reitzels forlag. Levinsen, K. (2006), Individualisering og ungdom – en diskussion af Ulrich Becks individualiseringsbegreb. [Individualization and youth – a discussion on Ulrich Beck’s concept of individualization.] Tidsskrift for ungdomsforskning 6(2), 41-58. Rheg, W. (1991). Insight & Solidaity. The Discourse Ethics of Jürgen Habermas. Los Angeles: University Press of California. Orlenius, K. & Bigsten, A. (2008). Den värdefulla praktiken. Yrkesetik i pedagogers vardag [The valuable practice. Professional ethics in teachers’ everyday life]. Stockholm: Liber. Orlenius, K. (2004). Individuality and Solidarity – the Role and Goals in Religious Education. In: R. Larsson & C. Gustavsson (eds.), Towards a European Perspective on Religious Education, 157-165. Stockholm: Artos & Norma. SFS 2010:800. Skollagen [the Swedish School Act]. Stockholm: Utbildningsdepartementet. Accessible at www.riksdagen.se/webbnav/?nid=3911&bet=2010:800#K5 (20-01-2011) Ziehe, T (1993). Kulturanalyser: ungdom, utbildning, modernitet: essäer [Culture analysis; youths, education, modernity: essays]. Stockholm: Symposion.
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