Link to jeanne's Birdie Calendar Program: A Paradigm Shift Away from Adversarialism Workgroup

Dear Habermas Logo and Link to Site Index A Justice Site



Love and Peace Class Program

Dear Habermas Site

A Paradigm Shift Away from Adversarialism Workgroup

California State University, Dominguez Hills
Wednesday, December 6, 2000

Room SBS-A246, 11:30 to12:45



Introduction

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.

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



Contributors and Abstracts



Latanya Britt and Valencia Ross. Respect for Learning and for Each Other
Abstract:
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)
Valencia Ross and Latanya Britt. Respect for Learning and for Each Other
Abstract:



Planning the Workgroup

Stuff we have to know for Workgroup on last day of class.