Using Alain Badiou's Ethic of Truths to Support an 'Eventful' Social Justice Teacher Education Program

Authors

  • Kent den Heyer
  • Diane Conrad

Abstract

In this paper, the authors articulate a social justice purpose for an undergraduate teacher education program at a major Canadian university that they hope will inform more general discussions about social justice and teaching. The thesis they explore is the necessity for social justice teaching to utilize the acquisition of subject matter as a means to examine the ways in which our individual "nexus of privilege and ignorance reflect broader struggles over purposes and identities around which social practices such as education coalesce. After developing this thesis in relation to relevant literature, they turn to Henderson and Gornik's (2007) paradigmatic interpretation of "curriculum wisdom" and Badiou's (2000, 2001, 2003) ethical subjectivity of "truth-processes" to explore what the organization of curriculum in support of social justice might look like.

Author Biographies

Kent den Heyer

Kent den Heyer is an Associate Professor of social studies education and curriculum theory in the Department of Secondary Education at the University of Albert. His recent published work examines the intersections in historical consciousness of Empire logics and truth processes as articulated in the work of Alain Badiou, appearing in Educational Theory, Curriculum Inquiry and, as editor, Thinking Education Through Alain Badiou, Wiley-Blackwell.

 

Diane Conrad

Diane Conrad is Associate Professor in Secondary Education at the University of Alberta. She teaches and researches in the areas of drama/theatre education, applied theatre, at-risk youth, curriculum studies, participatory and arts-based research. Recent publications include In Search of the Radical in Performance in Youth & Theatre of the Oppressed; and Making Space for Youth in Education, Participatory Action Research & Social Change.

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Published

2011-04-08