Character education and the disappearance of the political

Suissa, Judith

doi:10.1080/17449642.2014.998030

Cited by 54 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The Jubilee Centre has developed a comprehensive account of the virtues needed for individual and social flourishing—based both on empirical research and on normative arguments—and it urges educators and others to develop these virtues among young people and professionals. The Centre has been particularly successful in Britain, where it has influenced educational policy nationally and locally (Suissa, 2015), but it has also influenced research and practice in many other countries. It provides extensive guidebooks and curriculum materials that have become increasingly influential (Jubilee Centre, n.d.).…”

Section: Question One: Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Educating for Comprehensive Well-being

Wortham

Love-Jones

Peters

et al. 2020

ECNU Review of Education

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Purpose: Educational approaches that advocate “well-being,” the “whole child,” “social and emotional learning,” “character,” and the like emphasize human development beyond the acquisition of knowledge and skills. These approaches vary widely in their views of human nature, their visions of a good life, and their prescriptions for educational practice. This article maps out heterogeneous contemporary approaches to “well-being” and related constructs, thereby allowing researchers, educators, and policymakers to understand the divergent assumptions made by the proliferating approaches to education that go beyond academics. Design/Approach/Methods: This article presents results from a 2-year project, which included interviews with advocates of different approaches and review of key literature about eleven educational approaches to “well-being,” the “whole child,” “social and emotional learning,” “character,” and similar noncognitive ends. Findings: The article argues that any educational approach to “well-being” and related constructs must respond to four questions: whether humans are bundles of discrete competencies or integrated wholes, what the appropriate relation is between individuals and society, the relative importance of instrumental and intrinsic goals, and the importance of an overarching purpose for one’s life. The analysis reviews how eleven contemporary approaches address these four questions. Originality/Value: Despite the global proliferation of divergent approaches to “well-being,” the “whole child,” “social and emotional learning,” “character,” and related constructs in education, there are no comprehensive frameworks for understanding the alternatives and their key assumptions. This article organizes the globally proliferating educational movements that promote “well-being,” making sense of a confusing set of alternatives. We also argue that any comprehensive approach to education that goes beyond academics must consider the four questions that we identify.

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Section: Question One: Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Educating for Comprehensive Well-being

Wortham

Love-Jones

Peters

et al. 2020

ECNU Review of Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…(1995, pp. 133-4) This form of disrespect may both discourage young people from 'political participation' (Suissa, 2015) and adversely affect the development of moral responsibility that is at the core of character education. This situation has been exacerbated by the recent legal changes to the status of students as 'consumers' in the higher education market calculative thinking on seeing little choice but to follow the party line.…”

Section: Recognition and Disrespectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Character education and the ‘priority of recognition’

Bates

2019

Cambridge Journal of Education

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Character education and the 'priority of recognition' By Agnieszka Bates As part of a revival of interest in character education, English schools are required to teach the new 'three Rs': resilience, respect for 'fundamental British values' and responsibility for one's own well-being. School inspectors evaluate children's resilience, whilst the Department for Education has offered financial incentives to schools that 'instil' mental toughness and 'grit'. However, this approach may prove counterproductive because it relies on teaching about desirable character traits and neglects the interpersonal relations within which 'character' develops. This paper argues for an alternative 'fourth R' of character education, based on Honneth's theory of recognition. As an empathetic connection to others arising from their intrinsic worth, recognition precedes cognition and a detached, neutral stance. Recognition of others as a prerequisite for moral action provides a foundation for an approach to character education that takes account of intersubjective relationships in schools and the wider social context within which character is shaped.

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“…Critics of citizenship education question its (supposed) downplaying of transcultural moral values, its uncritical inculcation of democratic values, a frequent political bias, and a lack of attention to cultural diversity (Kristjánsson, 2004, 210-211). In its turn, even if "the ultimate goal of all proper character education is to equip students with the intellectual tools to make wise choices of their own within the framework of a democratic society" (Jubilee Centre, 2017, 2), character education is criticized for being supposedly 'narrow and instrumental', emphasising the 'individual, moral dimension of character', psychologising problems 'rather than politicising them', and educating people for being 'compliant, not political' (Suissa, 2015;Kisby 2017). The theory of the selfof-virtue in its current state appears to be too individualistic and does not provide an appropriate answer to these critiques of character education.…”

Section: Theoretical Background: Re-questioning the Self-of-virtuementioning

confidence: 99%

Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2019

2019

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Character education and the disappearance of the political

Cited by 54 publications

References 14 publications

Educating for Comprehensive Well-being

Educating for Comprehensive Well-being

Character education and the ‘priority of recognition’

Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2019

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