Supporting Graduate Students toward “A Pedagogy of Hope”: Resisting and Redefining Traditional Notions of Disability
Main Article Content
Keywords
disability studies, education, inclusion
Abstract
This article describes the process by which faculty at Ghent University enculturate graduate students into a Disability Studies in Education (DSE) perspective within a culture that actively supports segregation of students with disabilities. Our curriculum centers around “a pedagogy of hope”—a way of thinking and working in which problems, solutions, and roles are defined differently from the traditional models of disability. To illustrate this work, we present five key incidents (real-life vignettes) that have occurred within the day-to-day interactions with the students and analyze the significance of these incidents in regard to student growth. We conclude with a discussion of ten basic elements of DSE that are central to research, teaching, and action.
References
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Billig, M., Condor, S., Edwards, D., Gane, M., Middleton, D., & Rodley, A. (1988). Ideological dilemmas. London: Sage.Davis, J. (1998). Understanding the meanings of children: A reflexive process. Children and Society, 12, 325-335.
Clough, P., & Barton, L. (Eds.). (1995). Making difficulties: Research and the construction of special educational needs. London: Paul Chapman.
Connor, D. (2008). Urban narratives: Portraits in progress--Life at the intersection of learning disability, race, and social class. New York: Peter Lang.
Danforth, S., & Gabel, S. (2006). Vital questions facing disability studies in education. New York: Peter Lang.
Danforth, S. (2009). The incomplete child: An intellectual history of learning disabilities. New York: Peter Lang.
Davies, B., & Gannon, S. (Eds.). (2009). Pedagogical encounters. New York: Peter Lang.
Davis, J. M. (1998). Understanding the meaning of children: A reflexive process. Children & Society, 12(5), 325-335.
Demetrion, G. (2001). Reading Giroux through a Deweyan lens: Pushing utopia to the outer edge. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 33(1), 57-76.
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Ferguson, P. (2001). Mapping the family: Disability studies and the exploration of parental response to disability. In G. L. Albrecht, K. Seelman, & M. Bury (Eds.), Handbook of disability studies (pp. 373-395). London: Sage.
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Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed (30th Anniversary Edition). London: Continuum.
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Giroux, H. (1992). Border crossings: Cultural workers and the politics of education. New York: Routledge.
Goodley, D., & Van Hove, G. (2005). Another Disability Studies reader. Antwerp, Belgium: Garant.
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Pfeiffer, D. (2001). The conceptualization of disability. In S. N. Barnartt & B. M. Altman (Eds.) Exploring theories and expanding methodologies: Where we are and where we need to go, (pp. 29-52). Bingley, UK: Emerald.
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Skrtic, T. (1995). Disability and democracy: Reconstructing (Special) Education for postmodernity. New York: Teachers College.
Smith, P. (Ed.). (2010). Whatever happened to inclusion? The place of students with intellectual disabilities in education. New York: Peter Lang
UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization] (1994). Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF
Valente, J. (2011). d/Deaf and d/Dumb: A portrait of a deaf kid as young superhero. New York: Peter Lang.
Van Hove, G. (2009). Disability studies: Basisteksten uitgediept. Antwerp, Belgium: Garant.
Van Hove, G., Roets, G., Mortier, K., De Schauwer, E., Leroy, M., & Broekaert, E. (2008). Research in inclusive education as a possible opening to disability studies in education. In S. L. Gabel and S. Danforth (Eds.), Disability and the politics of education, an international reader (pp. 121-139). New York: Peter Lang.
Vanhoutteghem, I., & Van Hove, G. (2012). “I’ve made a promise to my parents.” Narrative research with siblings, siblings-in-law, and siblings with disabilities who support each other. Manuscript in preparation.
Wells, K. (2011). Narrative Inquiry. UK: Oxford University Press.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, identity. UK: Cambridge University Press.
World Health Organization [WHO] and World Bank (2011). World report on disability. Retrieved from WHO website www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/index.html
Arribas-Ayllon, M., & Walkerdine, V. (2008). Foucauldian discourse analysis. In C. Willig & W. S. Rogers (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research in psychology (pp. 91-108). London: Sage.
Barton, L., & Oliver, M. (Eds.). (1997). Disability studies: Past, present and future. Leeds, UK: Disability Press.
Biklen, D. (1992). Schooling without labels: Parents, educators and inclusive education. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University.
Billig, M., Condor, S., Edwards, D., Gane, M., Middleton, D., & Rodley, A. (1988). Ideological dilemmas. London: Sage.Davis, J. (1998). Understanding the meanings of children: A reflexive process. Children and Society, 12, 325-335.
Clough, P., & Barton, L. (Eds.). (1995). Making difficulties: Research and the construction of special educational needs. London: Paul Chapman.
Connor, D. (2008). Urban narratives: Portraits in progress--Life at the intersection of learning disability, race, and social class. New York: Peter Lang.
Danforth, S., & Gabel, S. (2006). Vital questions facing disability studies in education. New York: Peter Lang.
Danforth, S. (2009). The incomplete child: An intellectual history of learning disabilities. New York: Peter Lang.
Davies, B., & Gannon, S. (Eds.). (2009). Pedagogical encounters. New York: Peter Lang.
Davis, J. M. (1998). Understanding the meaning of children: A reflexive process. Children & Society, 12(5), 325-335.
Demetrion, G. (2001). Reading Giroux through a Deweyan lens: Pushing utopia to the outer edge. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 33(1), 57-76.
Emerson, R. (2004). Working with ‘key incidents.’ In C. Seale, G. Gobo, J. Gubrium, & D. Silverman (Eds.), Qualitative research practice (pp. 457-472). London: Sage
Ferguson, P. (2001). Mapping the family: Disability studies and the exploration of parental response to disability. In G. L. Albrecht, K. Seelman, & M. Bury (Eds.), Handbook of disability studies (pp. 373-395). London: Sage.
Ferguson, P. (2003). Winks, blinks, squints and twitches: Looking for disability and culture through my son’s left eye. In P. Devlieger, F. Rush, & D. Pfeiffer (Eds.), Rethinking disability: The emergence of new definitions, concepts and communities (pp. 131-147). Antwerp, Belgium: Garant.
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed (30th Anniversary Edition). London: Continuum.
Freire, P. (2004). Pedagogy of hope. London: Continuum.
Gabel, S., & Peters, S. (2004). Presage of a paradigm shift? Beyond the social model of disability toward resistance theory of disability. Disability and Society, 19(6), 585-600.
Gabel, S. (Ed.). (2005). Disability studies in education: Readings in theory and method. New York: Peter Lang.
Gabel, S., & Danforth, S. (Eds.). (2008). Disability and the politics of education: An international reader. New York: Peter Lang.
Gadotti, M. (1998). The political-pedagogical praxis of Paulo Freire. Lecture on the Paulo Freire Forum, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Giroux, H. (1983). Theory and resistance in education: A pedagogy of opposition. South Hadley, MA: Bergin & Garvey.
Giroux, H. (1988). Schooling and the struggle for public life: Critical pedagogy in the modern age. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota.
Giroux, H. (1990). Rethinking the boundaries of educational discourse: Modernism, postmodernism and feminism. In H. A. Giroux (Ed.), Pedagogy and the politics of hope: Theory, culture and schooling. Boulder, CO: Westview.
Giroux, H. (1992). Border crossings: Cultural workers and the politics of education. New York: Routledge.
Goodley, D., & Van Hove, G. (2005). Another Disability Studies reader. Antwerp, Belgium: Garant.
Lawrence-Lightfoot, S., & Hoffman Davis, J. (1997). The art and science of portraiture. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Mullaly, B. (2002). Challenging oppression: A critical social work approach. Toronto, Canada: Oxford.
Murray, P., & Penman, J. (1996). Let our children be: A collection of stories. Sheffield, UK: Parents with Attitude.
Murray, M., & Kujundzic, N. (2005). Critical reflection: A textbook for critical thinking. Quebec, Canada: McGill-Queens University.
Parton, N., & O’Byrne, P. (2000). Constructive social work: Towards a new practice. Houndmills, UK: MacMillan.
Pfeiffer, D. (2001). The conceptualization of disability. In S. N. Barnartt & B. M. Altman (Eds.) Exploring theories and expanding methodologies: Where we are and where we need to go, (pp. 29-52). Bingley, UK: Emerald.
Rinaldi, C. (2005). In dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, researching and learning. Oxon, UK: Routledge.
Skrtic, T. (1995). Disability and democracy: Reconstructing (Special) Education for postmodernity. New York: Teachers College.
Smith, P. (Ed.). (2010). Whatever happened to inclusion? The place of students with intellectual disabilities in education. New York: Peter Lang
UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization] (1994). Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF
Valente, J. (2011). d/Deaf and d/Dumb: A portrait of a deaf kid as young superhero. New York: Peter Lang.
Van Hove, G. (2009). Disability studies: Basisteksten uitgediept. Antwerp, Belgium: Garant.
Van Hove, G., Roets, G., Mortier, K., De Schauwer, E., Leroy, M., & Broekaert, E. (2008). Research in inclusive education as a possible opening to disability studies in education. In S. L. Gabel and S. Danforth (Eds.), Disability and the politics of education, an international reader (pp. 121-139). New York: Peter Lang.
Vanhoutteghem, I., & Van Hove, G. (2012). “I’ve made a promise to my parents.” Narrative research with siblings, siblings-in-law, and siblings with disabilities who support each other. Manuscript in preparation.
Wells, K. (2011). Narrative Inquiry. UK: Oxford University Press.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, identity. UK: Cambridge University Press.
World Health Organization [WHO] and World Bank (2011). World report on disability. Retrieved from WHO website www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/index.html
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Oct 13, 2014
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Author Biographies
Geert Van Hove, Ghent University
Geert works at the Ghent University, Belgium. Together the authors form a research group on disability studies and inclusive education.