Critical Pedagogy, Democracy, and Capitalism: Education Without Enemies or Borders

Democratic Education: A Theoretical Review (2006–2017)

“…Institutions are compromised by their role as ideological state apparatuses and, therefore, deschooling (Rodney, 2013) or homeschooling (Morrison, 2008) would be encouraged. For others, following Freire, emancipation is possible within educational institutions if there is a constant dialogue between teachers and students over particular problems (McCowan, 2010;Stevenson, 2010). In contrast with deliberative perspectives, this dialogue does not aim for consensus and reconciliation but rather for the intersubjective understanding of students ' and teachers' experiences (Brent Edwards, 2010;De Lissovoy, 2018;Hantzopoulos, 2015).…”

“…According to Wildemeersch and Vandenabeele (2010), Mouffe and her followers overvalue conflict and underestimate solidarity. There is also a question of whether the assumption of a universal antagonism is essentially framed by Western binary logics (Bastrup-Birk & Wildemeersch, 2013;Stevenson, 2010). The movement from a "moral enemy" to a "political adversary" has also been challenged.…”

Views on leisure studies: pasts, presents & future possibilities?

“…3 With this caution in mind, and notwithstanding that a 'meaningful' leisure studies is hard, requires breaking down borders, traditions and established hierarchies, I see little reason why leisure studies should not be contributing to debates about pressing social problem and concerns -leisure is not neutral or apolitical, it is constituent of and constitutive of the wider social formation of which it is a part, and the concerns inherent within various instances of leisure are certainly not endemic to leisure. As such, I see a productive, meaningful and socially just leisure studies (in terms of critical scholarship and engaged pedagogic practices) that questions the taken for granted, that is activated by ethical imperatives and concerns (Garbutt & Offord, 2012), that considers relations of freedom, authority, democratic knowledge and responsibility (Stevenson, 2010), and which can do justice to the diverse narratives, issues, histories, experiences and contexts we are likely to encounter in our ('lively' , see Lupton, 2016) leisured lives (Giroux, 2010).…”

McKinesiology

“…Based in the doctrines of logical positivism, and following Murray et al (2008, p.273), "this view betrays an almost unshakeable faith in the human capacity for unbiased or objective observation and analysis." In this formulation, science becomes supplanted by ideology shaped by the neoconservative cultural logics of neo-liberalism, even as it basks in the dubious glow of its spurious value-free objectivity (Lincoln & Canella, 2004;also Giroux, 2005;Harvey, 2003;Lakoff, 2006;Stevenson, 2010).…”

“…We are not calling for any one ideology on the political spectrum to take over the University, however, following Giroux (2010) we are suggesting the need for our disciplines (and our institutions) to take a stand about the meaning and purpose of higher education; ensuring that kinesiology does not become another site in which teaching is not "confused with training, militarism or propaganda" (Giroux, 2010, p. 190). With Garbutt and Offord (2012), we are pointing to the compelling and urgent need for scholarship/pedagogy that is activated by ethical imperatives and concerns; a form of pedagogy that can consider relations of freedom, authority, democratic knowledge and responsibility (Stevenson, 2010) and which can do justice to the diverse narratives, issues, histories, experiences and contexts we are likely to encounter as part of the pedagogical process (Giroux, 2010b). This is a kinesiology program ground in an "ethos of experimentation" (Cote, Day & de Peuter, 2007, p.317), which, in name and intent, requires a complimentary synthesis of epistemologies if it is to realize its diverse and multi-faceted empirical project: a project which can contribute towards reason, understanding, dialogue, and critical engagement for both faculty and students (Giroux, 2010a) and is informed by democratic imperatives of equality, liberty and justice.…”