Constructing the Individual/Deconstructing Education

Description

How do kids learn about our social world? How are individuals constructed to be members of society? In an interdisciplinary exploration of social constructionism and socialization, with a primary focus on the interconnections between developmental psychology, social psychology, education, and learning theory, we will examine how children develop as individuals in their social-cultural context. We will explore a range of changes that shape early learning-advancement in motor skills, cognitive development, language acquisition, moral stages, and emotional growth-with an interest in how these are historically and culturally interpreted and patterned.

We will consider education as a complex field of knowledge and practice intertwined with psychological theories about the self and society. The contradictions of creating critically minded individuals in the context of assessment-based educational institutions will offer a productive realm of inquiry into the philosophy, purpose, and structure of educational systems. Specifically, we will look at the institutional mechanisms and psychological processes for teaching kids how to be "good" members of society-individualistic, competitive, and "civilized"-via parenting and formal education. We will also explore radical pedagogical approaches and social psychological theories that understand individuals as enmeshed within dominant relations of power.

We will have weekly films, lectures, workshops, and seminars, as well as opportunities to observe educational contexts in the community. Some of the theorists we will read and study include Albert Bandura, Jean Piaget, Carol Gilligan, Sandra Bem, Lev Vygotsky, Paulo Freire, Peter McLaren, Barbara Rogoff, and Henry Giroux.