A Justice Site
Program
The Workgoups grew from our actual classroom discussions as we discovered how similar our discussions were to the kinds of activities envisioned for professional conference meetings in which colleagues are given the opportunity to exchange views with each other, on topics of mutual concern to their work and interests. Our students were already presenting in formal professional conference meetings, as part of our Moot Court Program. Their experiences, combined with the experiences in our class discussions, convinced us that student academic discourse holds tremendous potential for shifting dominant discourse away from the structural violence of institutional bureaucratization and ritualization of learning outcomes. Introduction
The Workgroup also appeared to be a good vehicle for presenting the final reports of learning from our classes, in which students were permitted to respond to any essay question of their design to illustrate their learning in that class. The themes of this collection of essays, abstracted here, and accessible in their entirety on the Dear Habermas site, provided the structural framework for the Workgroup held by the class. The Workgroup, held on the last day of class, provided a forum in which their could be discussion, professional exchange, and sharing of substantive information that had been addressed in the course. This meant that students were able to formulate their thoughts orally, visually, and in writing, and exchange these communication modes in their final workgroup. We hypothesized that this might prove fruitful in eliminating the structural violence of "testing" in the academy, strengthening a healthier respect for learning.
The Workgroup Programs for each class permit students and teachers from any campus to access our "texts" for incorporation in their own studies and works.
Issues
- Dominant Discourse
- Agency and Social Structure
- Adversarialism and Mutuality
- Respect and Disrespect
Contributors and Abstracts
Latanya Britt and Valencia Ross. Respect for Learning and for Each OtherAbstract:Joanna Carillo. On Agency and Structural Context.Abstract:Kiesha Cheatham. On Reasoning Through the Definitiion of "Dominant Discourse."Abstract:Samara Kenney. Where Do I Even Start to Define "Dominant Discourse?"Abstract:Bobby Martin. Fellman's Text Provides a Base to Fall Back On.Abstract: Looking at theory in terms of adversarialsim and mutuality gives me a base on which to judge the theories. So Rambo and the Dalai Lama gives me something to fall back on, a toe-hold so I can explore further. (jeanne's rephrasing)Armond McDaniels How can I not understand Dominant Discourse?Abstract: If I can understand the fact that I am the way I am, not because I said I was going to be this way, but because of culture, environment, education, and all the other elements involved in the development of a human being, then I can understand Dominant Discourse.Valencia Ross and Latanya Britt. Respect for Learning and for Each OtherAbstract:
Planning the Workgroup
Stuff we have to know for Workgroup on last day of class.