Chapter 12 – Feminism, Philosophy, and Education

1. Chapter 12 – Feminism, Philosophy, and Education By: Laura Drugan

2. Agenda • Feminists Critiques of Philosophy • Epistemology • Philosophy of Social Science • Ethics • Care and Education

3. Feminists Critiques of Philosophy • Educating for a “productive” and “reproductive” life • Mathematics and Science, Public Leadership • Historically male dominant • Care, Compassion, and Connection • Historically female dominant • Barriers that excluded females from an education leading to a “productive” lifestyle have long vanished, so let’s seize the opportunity • Educators and care givers need to encourage females to embrace math and science learning • Females can inspire females – below are some compelling videos highlighting females working in math and science fields • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LWtMqGbjtA • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv-ZNyFVat4&feature=relmfu • Learning associated with Care, Compassion, and Connection does not end with female domestic responsibilities • School curriculum can be organized around themes of caring (caring for self, caring for loved ones, caring for strangers, caring for animals and nature, caring for ideas) • http://www.bu.edu/ccsr/files/2011/04/Spring-2007.pdf

4. Epistemology • Beliefs and debate surrounding credibility of knowledge • “Standpoint” epistemology: belief that a certain privilege is acquired by those who experience oppression • Women and gender, poor and poverty, blacks and race, etc. • Some feminist (including black feminist) put stake in knowledge based on personal experiences • Educators need to discuss the “credibility” of knowledge and information with their students • Help students understand what sources are credible for certain types of information (for example, the wikipedia debate) • Through knowledge and passion, help students see credibility in teachers

5. Philosophy of Social Science • Feminists most important contribution to social science educational research • Do not substitute “one right way” for another • Qualitative research is not more right than quantitative • Narrative is no more right than paradigmatic • Rightness of a research method must be judged by both the purposes of the participants and its effects • Was there a solid purpose and were the results useful and acceptable • This statement should be the filter educators use for all lesson plans and classroom projects • Students need to understand the objective and find ways to purposefully use this new knowledge or information

6. Ethics • The ethic of care dismisses the old distinction between “is” and “ought” as a pseudo problem • “I ought to care because…” • Natural caring: respond spontaneously to another’s plight • I know what it is liked to be cared for… • Ethical caring: does have to be summoned • “I ought but I don’t want to” • I have to turn to memories of caring • In a classroom setting, the teacher needs create an environment filled with natural and ethical caring • Student may not have the right modeling at home

7. Care and Education Moral education from the care perspective has four major components Modeling Practice Confirmation Dialogue • Educators have to talk about caring with their students • Students need help in interpreting behavior of adults • “engrossment” • Educators can use dialogue to evaluate their attempts to care • Conversation must be two way • Students need practice in caring and reflect on that practice • Community service and cooperative work is a good way to practice • Student need to practice with adult models • Educators have to show what it means to care in their own behavior • Demonstrate caring in their relationships with students • Caring must be genuine • Affirming and encouraging the best in others