Kai Wortmann (University of Tübingen, Germany)
Educational Theory and the Limits of Critique: Problems with and alternatives to critical ways of speaking about education

This talk will introduce post-critical pedagogy as from Room approach to educational research that avoids problems of 780) and offers alternatives to the dominant critical language in our discipline. Three problems of critique will be described: first, the tendency to uncover underlying structures of phenomena and thus to reduce them, second, the risk of losing the actors by breaking with their perspectives, third, the prevailing negativity and associated inability to offer orientation for educational practice. The suggested alternatives consist in a language that describes educational phenomena as relational, treats educational actors as equal and symmetrical, and offers positive-affirmative ways of speaking about education.

Kai Wortmann is a philosopher of education at the University of Tübingen, Germany. After a BA in Philosophy and Education at Heidelberg and a MSc in Educational Research Design and Methodology at Oxford he defended his PhD on post-critical educational research. He is interested in contemporary pragmatism, actor-network-theory and empirical philosophy of education, and implications of the climate crisis for educational theory.

A handout is attached here.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81813506541
Meeting ID: 818 1350 6541