A Disaffection
By: James Kelman
1989
What is the role
of Males in education?
“I mean it fucking stinks, it’s rotten
from the outside in and the inside fucking out. Every last fucking thing about
it, it stinks. And what goes on in the classroom, it’s a load of dross. This is
how I’m fucking chucking it. And all these wee weans Christ they think ye know
everything, every last thing in the fucking universe – especially about how to
change for good. I’ll tell ye something else, bastards people think lies are
true and even when they know they’re no true they’ll say fuck all because the shitey
fucking arse who’s telling the lie holds the position of power.”
James Kelman – A Disaffection
The
discussion of gender and its impact on education should include an
historical account of how males are perceived through a cultural lens. It is important to trace
the lineage of how men are understood in the classroom in regards to knowledge
production and distribution. De-gendering male
teachers and the pedagogy they symbolize is paramount for understanding why gender is an important issue in education. De-gendering male teachers takes the form of seeing males in positions that are uncommon in learning. More specifically, working with very young children.
The word "education" can be attributed to
a masculine, positivistic pedagogy, while women, in opposition, can be
perceived to perform a nurturing role in human development. If men are symbols of patriarchy in education,
they are marked as purveyors of knowledge and power. What
Joe Kinchloe’s
article What We Call Knowledge is
Complicated and Harbours Profound Consequences situates knowledge and its
production by discussing procedures and guidelines that have been employed to
create particular kinds of knowledge. He references standardized test driven
curriculums that create learners that are dependent on their teachers for
information. The delivery of information is from the teacher to the
student, and the student, in turn, synthesizes the information, then
demonstrates their mastery or proficiency of the subject by accepting the
information as truth, and recounting the information verbatim on a test. This
positivistic pedagogy is further employed by taking the recounted information
and filtering it through a measurable system and assigning a grade that is
supposed to reflect the quality of work submitted. Therefore, if this pedagogy
thrives in a patriarchal institution such as school, male teachers become symbols of this positivistic pedagogy. They become responsible for the dissemination of
information that engenders a student that is reliant on their teacher for
praise, feedback and grades. Kinchloe continues the article by providing
applicable suggestions for creating a learning environment that produces
critical knowledge, where learners are responsible for their own development and
are mindful of social justice.
“In
the epistemologically mechanistic, test driven, standardized and scripted
classrooms of the present era students learn that school is not connected to
the world round them. They learn that there is nothing complex or problematic
about knowledge – it is produced by faceless experts and it is our job as
students to learn it.”
(Kinchloe,
12)
The
above quote recounts the positivistic pedagogy by creating a
student that accepts knowledge without being critical of it. It is important to understand that the expert or holder of knowledge and power is indeed not faceless or genderless. While Kinchloe could be referring to a distant empirical
body that communicates information through teachers, he omits references to gender and its implication of knowledge production. We as learner should critically examine knowledge as gendered to understand it implications of learning. The face or gender of knowledge is not blank or empty. It is the face of patriarchy and the symbol of man.
Here it is important to state that patriarchy does not limit social transformation. Feminism has thrived in a patriarchal environment and positive social change has occurred in history. By understanding the implications of a patriarchal system one can be critical of its underpinnings which can engender social transformation. Teachers who employ a critical pedagogy in their work help to create critical learners who question traditional notions of knowledge. Women, in
positions of authority upset the historical norms of gender in education. Men consequently
disturb their roles as teachers by taking on the responsibility of human
development of preschool children. Critical pedagogy should
not be limited to school age and adult learners, but should be implemented with human development of preschool children. With higher numbers of men working
with young children, with an articulated philosophy of education that is founded
on critical pedagogy, young children will enter school questioning knowledge
rather than accepting it as truth.
A
difficulty arises from this troubling of gender norms. How can males be
attracted to this profession? Presently males are not visible in preschool environments. Women are perceived as being accepted in preschool professions. Pre-conceived gender norms have made the profession one
where women are intended to belong. Subsequently, if women are allocated to
this profession, men will not feel as through, according to critics such as Judith Butler (who argues that people need to feel that they belong in their jog/gender/race etc to be accepted in culture), that this
is an unlivable vocation, where they will be encumbered by isolation, and
discriminated against based on their gender. Men are meant to feel like they
belong when teaching older children and adults where they employ a positivistic pedagogy. How can men be invited to feel as though
they belong when working with all age groups?
Kinchloe
discusses the ideas of “a literacy of power”, where particular textbooks and
mandated curriculum undermine people’s best interests. Material in
textbooks reinforces an empirical truth, not to be questioned by students.
These textbooks are meant to be read and the information regurgitated and
supported as they are tested on the material. Evidence of “power” is present
in how textbooks are used every year to convey the same information, often
taught in the same fashion. Continuing to teach the same knowledge (from the same textbook) annually
assists in valuing the material as something that is essential and universal for
all learners. In regards to attracting men to preschool environments, textbooks or journal articles should reflect a diverse
population of educators. Showing men engaged with young
children in a positive and nurturing way in photographs or anecdotes assists in helping men feel like they belong in a female dominated vocation. This is one way of presenting the
occupation as accepting and inviting for men. Since there are so few men
working in this field it is imperative to see them as visible, accepted and
helpful.
Kelman’s quote
above serves as part of a tirade from a Scottish male teacher. His character
also serves as a symbol of the male teacher, one who embodies patriarchy and a
positivistic pedagogy. He becomes annoyed, and there is evidence of that in his words above, while attempting to disrupt his traditional gender performance. He is frustrated by the universal pedagogy that is
implemented in his school. He sees students every day that believe he is the
foundation of knowledge, and since he is a teacher he must have an encyclopedic
knowledge of everything conceivable. He feels conflicted by
implementing a critical pedagogy to his students. His teaching strategies vary
from having the children repeat aloud nonsense political conjecture and asking
them forwardly why their families are considered poor. The protagonist is
understandably frustrated when he is attempting to invite the children in this
class to be critical of their everyday lives, but they still ask him to relay
truths in politics and cultural theory.
Subsequently, he is coming to terms with the irritation of embodying the symbol of patriarchy. His response to his exasperation is quitting the profession. He no longer feels, as Butler argues, that he belongs. This turmoil is created because he perceives himself to be a failure as a teacher. He cannot de-gender the minds of his students, and have them begin to think critically as learners. This could be reflected in that his teacher education did not support a critical pedagogy and he was intended to continue to employ a positivistic approach to teaching. Perhaps where he might feel as though he belongs would be in teaching younger children. This way he can introduce pedagogy to young learners as reflective and arguable. He will have to clean up his language first.
Subsequently, he is coming to terms with the irritation of embodying the symbol of patriarchy. His response to his exasperation is quitting the profession. He no longer feels, as Butler argues, that he belongs. This turmoil is created because he perceives himself to be a failure as a teacher. He cannot de-gender the minds of his students, and have them begin to think critically as learners. This could be reflected in that his teacher education did not support a critical pedagogy and he was intended to continue to employ a positivistic approach to teaching. Perhaps where he might feel as though he belongs would be in teaching younger children. This way he can introduce pedagogy to young learners as reflective and arguable. He will have to clean up his language first.
This is one of the greatest novels I have ever read. Absolutely amazing.
Grade:
A+
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