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From: "Catherine King" <cb.king@verizon.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:334] Re: talking about purpose, philosopy and policy
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Hello Kathy Sikes:
You ask for input about Patrick Shannon's question,
with regard to connecting political philosophy and
education, and to "begin asking ourselves how these
ideologies have influenced us, which elements we
value and which we no longer value, and what other
possibilities are available to us," for your group,
Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education.
To go to what I think is the heart of the question, and to
question the assumptions behind the question you ask,
Have you and the other students really been merely
"influenced" by democracy as one ideology among
others--or is it a better question to ask in what way
democracy is, and is not, an ideology, like other
ideologies?
It seems to me that influence is an issue, but a much
deeper phenomenon is the fact that we can even ask
these and other kinds of questions while suffering no
fear of political or legal impugnment, or social
ostracization, and that the spontaneous process of
raising these kinds of questions is itself not even
questioned as a value--it is so much a part of our
"value system" (or that I may offer a different
question).
The point is that the power structure of democracy (in
principle) holds a moving tension between the dynamic
consciousness of individuals and the questions we ask
in dialogue in the community (freedom of speech) on
the one hand, and the laws and the social-ethical-spiritual
morays on the other. The place for the Jeffersonian
"little revolution" that is needed once in awhile in a
democracy is directly related to this moving tension
where the many-voices structure itself is built around
defraying and dismantling oppressive forces that
naturally build up in any group of people. (A good place
to start might be a reading and group discussion of
the "Federalist Papers, especially #10.")
The little revolutions are ideas and questions bubbling
up--like yours and mine--that keep the democracy alive,
and the Constitution "living," and that are specifically
protected under the tender but profound First
Amendment.
But aren't these ideas and questions, the ones you
are asking, and the openness that they imply, also the
living centerpiece of education?
The real problem of influence of living in a democracy,
embattled as it is, is that being brought up in one, and
living in one, without experiencing other political
ideologies, creates a natural comfort with our hard-won
freedoms.
With regard to Shannon's question, if education is
understood less in terms of "knowledge that is learned"
and more in terms of the prior open field where
questions are raised--in our schools and academies--
then the relationship of education with the political
ground that sets the stage for and provides the
protection for these questions to flourish can be
understood as a crucially foundational relationship.
The way Shannon's question is asked seems to imply
both of these problems: (1) that democracy is "just
another ideology among other ideologies we can
afford to choose, like at a supermarket, and that
we might consider "other possibilities," but do other
ideologies "allow" (rather invite?) us to question the
very ground of the ideology? and would we choose
to embrace an ideology that was not identified with
openness? and (2) that in Shannon's question, if
not in his work, and in the question-to-knowledge
dynamism, the question is at least subordinated,
and at most forgotten.
But the centrality of the raising of questions is what
unites education and democracy. This centrality, if
understood fully, points to education as not just
another social program or "career goal," but as
a "two-sides-of-the-same-coin" relationship, or
a better metaphor might be that democracy and
education are bookends, and individual persons,
in our communities, are in the center. I don't
know Shannon's work, but my first question of his
work would be if he himself understands the
difference.
I've probably gone on too long, but I thought your
question was a good one, and I hope it has helped.
A good holiday to everyone,
Catherine King
----- Original Message -----
From: Kathy Sikes <ksikes@email.unc.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov>
Sent: Friday, December 22, 2000 9:28 AM
Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:332] talking about purpose, philosopy and policy
> Hello to everyone on this list! I am posting a message on behalf of the
> staff at the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE).
> We are a national organization supporting the participatory education
> and social change work of campus-based literacy programs. An article we
> enjoyed reading, one that connects political philosophy and education
> policy, is Patrick Shannon's "'What's My Name?': A Politics of Literacy
> in the Latter Half of the 20th Century in America." published in Reading
> Research Quarterly, Jan-Mar 2000, Vol.35, Issue1, p90.
>
> Shannon challenges us to "begin asking ourselves how these ideologies
> have influenced us, which elements we value and which we no longer
> value, and what other possibilities are available to us." Would that
> question be an interesting place to renew our discussion about the
> philosophical purposes of education and parallel policy implications?
>
> Best,
>
> Kathy
>
>
>
>
>
> Kathy Sikes, Executive Director
> Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education
> ph:919.962.1542 fax: 919.962.6020
>
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