The Role of Emotion in Democratic Dialogue: A Self Study

Abstract

This study contributes to existing scholarship on democratic education by focusing explicitly on the affective dynamics of teaching with and for discussion. More specifically, the purpose of this research is to critically analyze the first author’s efforts to address the role of emotion in democratic dialogue within the context of classroom-based discussions and the work of preparing future social studies educators for their role as discussion facilitators. We found that despite the instructor’s stated goals and her efforts to teach about the constructive role of emotion in learning to communicate across difference, overall, students continued to judge dispassionate and disembodied speech acts as appropriate, while expressions of anger, frustration, or exaspe-ration were judged inappropriate. More specifically, if a female student spoke with anger or frustration during class discussions, her concerns, ideas, and questions tended to be ridiculed, ignored, or dismissed, while the same emotional rule did not apply to male students. If our intent is to facilitate communication across difference, we must actively attend to the ways in which social hierarchies inform discussion by carefully considering how emotional expression and experiences are positioned.

Feeling race in the social studies classroom: a self-study

“…Reidel's and Salinas's (2011) previous self-study revealed that traditional conceptualizations of emotions as a private individualized experience and as something to be “controlled” predominate among teacher candidates. Based on these findings, Michelle made emotion a formal topic of study in the social studies methods course.…”

“…The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www. emerald.com/insight/1933-5415.htm In this reflective dialogue and self-study, we return to and build upon findings from previous research (Reidel and Salinas, 2011) bringing specific attention to the relationship between race and emotion. We recognize the intersectionality of our identities and how they inform our work as researchers and teachers.…”

Critical Affective Civic Literacy: A Framework for Attending to Political Emotion in the Social Studies Classroom

“…However, the conception of politics as reasoned debate may be so ingrained in current models of civic preparation that attempts to spur critical awareness of emotion will meet with resistance from pre-service social studies teachers. Reidel and Salinas (2011) found it difficult to dislodge the theory of emotion as individual and private in a teacher education course that sought to engage emotions explicitly in classroom discussions of controversial issues. Despite the instructor's repeated efforts to bring attention to the role of emotions, students were critical of classmates they judged as being too “emotional” during class discussions.…”