Four questions on curriculum development in contemporary South Africa

Abstract

This article explores current issues in South African philosophy curriculum design. Four questions are considered, each followed by a supplementary note. Firstly, the place of philosophy from other traditions, particularly Western philosophies, in South African curricula is considered (rather than the place of African philosophy in curricula). The related note reflects on whether different philosophical traditions in curricula should be treated separately or integrated. Secondly, ambiguity in some important authors' reception of plural traditions is identified and investigated to see what we can derive from their example for our philosophical practice. The related note looks at "decolonisation of the curriculum". Thirdly, I affirm the importance of relevance as a criterion for curriculum development, interrogating the meaning of this criterion for philosophy. The related note focuses on interpreting student feedback. Fourthly, the continued presence of "white" lecturers in South African philosophy departments is discussed against the background of the tension between the Mandela and Biko paradigms in contemporary society. The related note considers ideological resonances of our response to this issue in other parts of the world. Finally, the article's ideas are presented as an attempt to map argumentative options, clarify some of their merits and implications, and acknowledge their limits. 1 Another descriptor could be chosen for the paradigm. I selected the name for the sake of convenience, to suggest a trend, rather than to identify the paradigm with one specific articulation thereof. 2 Throughout this article, I use the terms "black" and "white" to denote "races" as social constructions only.

How diverse is your reading list? Exploring issues of representation and decolonisation in the UK

“…This would serve to counter the distinctively unrepresentative nature of the reading lists in relation to the student body. Whilst reading lists do not necessarily need to mirror student experiences to be legitimate (Wolff 2016), representation and recognition of student perspectives are essential for genuine parity of participation in higher education (Burke 2018; Luckett and Shay 2017).…”

“…This process needs to engage with a range of stakeholders, including staff and students, to ensure clarity and commitment to the agenda (Whitsed and Green 2016). These discussions should be context-sensitive (Wolff 2016) and be founded on an understanding of the relevant theoretical, methodological and ethical debates (such as those discussions raised in this article).…”

“…Shifts towards inclusive curricula therefore offer transformative potential (Luckett and Shay 2017) that 're-conceptualizes the field in light of new knowledge, scholarship, and new ways of knowing' (Kitano cited in Cohn and Mullenix 2007: 16). The development of a diverse reading list would necessarily build on and critique the canon (Wolff 2016). In post-colonial contexts, this requires greater representation of perspectives, histories and approaches of scholars of the country (Le Grange 2016; Mngomezulu and Hadebe 2018) to 'build a knowledge base that takes learners and teachers beyond colonialist habit' (Phillips and Archer-Lean 2018).…”

“…First, there is a lack of research examining student views of reading lists. Qualitative research is required to uncover student expectations of reading lists and their reactions to diversity in the curriculum (Wolff 2016). This should necessarily consider students from different disciplines, where expectations and views are likely to differ.…”

Toward an Africanized Bioethics Curriculum

“…The first is to offer a whole module dedicated to African thought, and the second is to integrate African thought into all of the courses offered. 28 Other institutions on the continent have also tried to include African philosophy and thought into their ethics curricula. Typically, they have opted for the first of Wolff's models, and what this has entailed is little more than dedicating a module or a few individual seminars to African ethics, here and there.…”