The Pedagogical Possibilities of Witnessing and Testimonies

“Never Again the Everyday”: On Cinema, Colportage and the Pedagogical Possibilities of Escapism

“…In this I have regarded escapism as moments of pedagogical possibilities, as moments of possible transformations. As I argued earlier, the pedagogical possibility can consist of an arrested time where action becomes possible (Hållander, 2020). The question therefore becomes, when do we grasp that possibility?…”

“…In my book (Hållander, 2020) I have explore this not-yet phenomenon and written about it in terms of the pedagogical possibility of arrested time. The pedagogical possibility, I argue drawing on Giorgio Agamben, is always related to the things that do not pass into actuality, to the not-doing and not-yet, to the impossibility.…”

“…Blinded manuscript) as well as to formal education and teaching, which will be made clear throughout the article. In my book (Hållander, 2020) I discuss the pedagogical possibility, (specifically in relation to the phenomenon of testimony and witnessing) in relation to Agamben's understanding of potentiality. Among others I regard it in relation to time, as a possibility that is not yet, but can be.…”

“…To do this, the article will be developed into three different directions by, first, discussing the problem of distraction, attention, mass culture and movies, mainly drawing on Walter Benjamin, second, discussing attention formation within teaching, and third, discussing Ernst Bloch and the relations between the fairy tale, colportage and hope in relation to action and social justice. Through these three developments, the article formulates an argument that escapism is not simply the opposite of studying but rather can be formulated as slowing things down, as creating space for reflection and rest, and ultimately, as an immature, yet honest, beginning of change and therefore as having pedagogical possibilities (Hållander, 2020).…”

“…Something that is often dismissed as mere escapism might be a seed for a new and more humane social order, as it can be seen as an "immature, but honest substitute for revolution" (Bloch 1986, p. 368). Drawing on Bloch's understanding of colportage and hope, as well as Walter Benjamin's understanding of mass culture and cinema, the article treats escapism and TV series not as something simple, but rather as possible seeds for a new social order and thus as having pedagogical possibilities (Hållander, 2020).…”