Exploring the interconnections between adult education, militarism, and gender: implications for our field

International Journal of Lifelong Education

2014

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This article explores the ways in which military constructions of gender intersect with academic ones. Its focus is to connect military discourses of duty, honour and service before self with academic ones of commitment and productivity. As such, it engages in an institutional analysis of the gendered organizations of the military and academia and the associated implications for lifelong learning and education. First, I discuss how, despite resistance from countless educators, corporatism and militarism have come to influence many forms of lifelong learning and higher education. Then, I detail the ways in which both the military and academia, with their unique purposes, are gendered organizations, requiring inordinate dedication and commitment to institutional ends. Finally, I conclude that educators must continue to recognize, problematize and challenge gendered discourses that privilege militarism in higher and lifelong education.

Section: Higher Education Lifelong Learning and Militarismmentioning

confidence: 98%

Intersecting discourses of militarism: military and academic gendered organizations

International Journal of Lifelong Education

2014

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“…Readings include, among others, an examination of globalization, feminism, and militarism (Enloe, ); the ways in which compulsory education in the United States and Israel is affected by war (Ben‐Porath, ); the pedagogy of war (Apple, ; Welton, ); as well as the experiences of women with war and learning in a variety of countries (Mojab & Dobson, ; and others from a special journal issue of the International Journal of Lifelong Education). Additional readings are included that I have written about my own gendered learning experiences in the Canadian military (Taber, ) and my argument for including this content in adult education (Taber, ).…”

Section: War Gender and Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As Canadian culture is arguably becoming increasingly involved with militarizing influences, it is concomitantly difficult to problematize notions of patriotism and democracy (for recent resources supporting this argument that were not available when I began teaching this course, see Taber, , ; McCready, ; McKay & Swift, ). For instance, in class we problematize the words in and use of the national anthem, "O Canada," which can cause extremely vociferous denunciation ( CBC News, 2009 ; Apple, for an American example with respect to the Pledge of Allegiance).…”

Section: War Gender and Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Initially, I had not intended to identify my institution in my argument, as the challenges that I face are connected to a wider academic context, but I think that the university itself is relevant, as is the political and social climate of the province and the country. In other work (Taber, , ), I explore the uniqueness of my university, which has a military leader, Major‐General Sir Isaac Brock, as a namesake. Increasingly, his likeliness is being used to promote the university, with images of Brock on parking passes, in murals, on paintings, identity cards, and convocation programs.…”

Section: Autoethnographymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Critiquing War in the Classroom: Professor Positionality, Vulnerability, and Possibility

New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development

2014

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Countless educators in various contexts strive to engage in societal critique. My work crosses the fields of adult and higher education, through a feminist perspective that problematizes the ways in which gender intersects with militarism, incorporating such issues as race, class, heteronormativity, and ability. My approach is not without its challenges, as I often encounter difficulties in critiquing mainstream understandings of education and society. However, these difficulties are not insurmountable and, by their very existence, demonstrate the continued importance of working for social justice.This article describes an analytic (critical) autoethnographical (Anderson, 2006;Reed-Danahay, 2009) research study focusing on my experiences over a twenty-one month period developing, delivering, and evaluating course content that critiques war from a feminist anti-militarist (Enloe, 2000(Enloe, , 2007 perspective as a pre-tenured faculty member. In AbstractThis article describes an analytic autoethnographical research study focusing on my experiences developing, delivering, and evaluating course content critiquing war from a feminist anti-militarist perspective as a pretenured faculty member. Themes include: professional vulnerability, student resistance, pedagogical possibility, and scholarly holism. This research demonstrates the importance of interrogating the educational experiences of post-secondary professors, and of connecting them to complex sociocultural educational issues such as war, militarism, and gender. New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 26 (4) 2this article, I discuss literature addressing the difficulties of critiquing neoliberal education using critical, feminist, and antimilitarist approaches; explain my approach to the course; and, outline my autoethnographical method. This is followed by a discussion of the themes: professional vulnerability, student resistance, pedagogical possibility, and scholarly holism. This research demonstrates the importance of interrogating the educational experiences of post-secondary professors, and of connecting them to complex sociocultural educational issues such as war, militarism, and gender.

“…I discuss how this particular research topic became apparent to me and explore the current national context, arguing that Generals, colonels, and captains / N. Taber Canada is exchanging an identity of a peace-making country for one of war-making. Then, I examine literature that connects education with militarism, taking a feminist antimilitarist (Enloe, 2000(Enloe, , 2007Feinman, 2000) adult education approach (Taber, 2009a). I also discuss issues relating to academic freedom in critiquing one's own institution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generals, colonels, and captains: Discourses of militarism, education, and learning in the Canadian university context

2014

CJHE

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This article discusses a feminist discourse analysis that explores the ways in which discourses of learning interact with discourses of militarism at four Canadian civilian universities named for military leaders. I discuss how this particular research topic became apparent to me and explore the current national context where it can be argued that Canada is exchanging an identity of a peace-making country for one of war-making. I examine literature that connects education with militarism, taking a feminist anti-militarist approach, and discuss issues relating to academic freedom in critiquing one’s own institution. I explain my methodology and detail my findings, concluding that educators should continue to contest gendered militarism in higher education and society.