Epistemology, emotion, self-identity,
public space
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Action research for/as/mindful
of social justice’ in Bridget Somekh and Susan Noffke (eds.)
Handbook of Educational Action Research, Sage (2009)
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Being Naughty to be Good:
Playing at/as being Authentic’ in Deborah Orr and Diana Taylor (eds.)
Lessons from the Gynaeceum: Women Philosophizing — Past, Present and
Future, Rowman and Littlefield (2008)
Morwenna Griffiths and Hamish Ross, ‘Public space,
participation and expressive arts’ in Bob Lingard, Jon Nixon and Stewart
Ransom (eds.) Transforming Learning, Continuum (in press)
Morwenna Griffiths and Jean Barr, ‘The nature of
knowledge and lifelong learning' in David Aspin (ed.)
Philosophical Perspectives on Lifelong Learning, Springer Press
(2007)
This paper starts from the position that lifelong learning
is more than is assumed in current policy rhetoric. This rhetoric focuses
on training for a ‘knowledge economy’ in which all citizens play their
part. We argue that this rhetoric depends on a view of knowledge as
instrumental, individual and disembodied. Against this we propose a notion
of knowledge as social, embodied and reflexive about its own roots in time
and space. It is this notion that underpins the richer, more democratic
notion of lifelong learning which we explore in this essay using examples
drawn from various, diverse sites, especially museum and art education
‘from cradle to grave’.
Morwenna Griffiths, (with Judy Berry,
Anne Holt, John Naylor and Philippa Weekes) ‘Learning to be in public spaces: in from the margins with dancers, sculptors, painters and musicians' in Chris Gaine, Ghazala Bhatti, Yvonne Leeman and Francesca
Gobbo (eds.) Social Justice and Intercultural Education: an Open-Ended
Dialogue, Trentham 2007
Morwenna Griffiths and Tony Cotton,
Action research, stories and practical philosophy, Educational Action Research,
15 (4) 2007 This paper explores the use
of practical philosophy in action research. It describes what ‘practical
philosophy’ is and how it makes a connection between ‘theory’ and
‘practice’ – while never losing hold of either. It begins from the
understanding that philosophy is rooted in social practices with
philosophy in educational practices rooted in educational practice. The
paper goes on to explore the use of stories as a way into the diversity of
significant particularities. Finally the links are made between practical
philosophy, stories and the notion of action research. The theme of social
justice permeates. It is an example of a theory-practice connection, and
also it provides the underlying rationale for the approach.
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘The feminization of teaching and the practice of teaching: threat or opportunity?’ Educational Theory
56(4) Fall 2006
In
this essay, Morwenna Griffiths considers the effect of feminization on the
practices of education. She outlines a feminist theory of practice that
draws critically on theories of embodiment, diversity, and structures of
power to show that any practice is properly seen as fluid, leaky, and
viscous. Examining different and competing understandings of
"feminization"— referring either to the numbers of women in teaching or to
a culture associated with women — Griffiths argues that concerns about
increasing number of women teachers are misplaced. She complicates the
cultural question, observing that masculine practices have a hegemonic
form while feminized practices have developed in resistance to these, and
she ultimately argues that hegemonic masculinity, not feminization, is the
problem because it drives out diversity. Griffiths concludes that the
leaky, viscous practices of teaching would benefit from the increased
diversity and decreased social stratification feminization brings to the
profession.
Morwenna Griffiths,
‘A feminist perspective on communities of practice’ Socio-cultural Theory in
Educational Research and Practice, Manchester, September, 2005
Morwenna Griffiths,
Action for Social Justice in Education: Fairly Different
Buckingham: Open University Press 2003 Social justice is a
verb. This book puts forward a view of social justice as action orientated
rather than as a static theory. Complex discussions of difference,
equality, recognition, and redistribution are made accessible and relevant
to issues of class, race, gender, sexuality and disability. Interwoven
with the discussion are compelling individual accounts of the pleasures
and pains, the pitfalls and glittering prizes to be found in education -
told by individuals coming from a diversity of social, economic, and
ethnic backgrounds. The second part of the book includes examples of
successful interventions in real situations, related to self-esteem,
empowerment, partnership, and the initiation of individual and joint
action to improve social justice in education. The discussion is kept open
through 'answering back' sections by educators committed to social
justice: Deborah Chetcuti, Max Biddulph, Ghazala Bhatti, Roy Corden,
Melanie Walker, Jon Nixon and Kenneth Dunkwu.
Morwenna Griffiths and Jean Barr, ‘Training the imagination to “go visiting”‘ in M. Walker and J. Nixon (eds.)
Reclaiming Universities from a Runaway World Buckingham, Open
University Press2003
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Ten
principles of social justice in educational research:two cases of
contract research’ Review Journal of Philosophy and the Social Sciences
27 (2) 2002
Morwenna Griffiths and Maxine Greene, ‘Feminism, philosophy and education: imagining public spaces’ in N. Blake, P. Smeyers,
R. Smith and P. Standish (eds.) The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy
of Education Oxford: Basil Blackwell 2002
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Questions of personal autonomy’ in K.W.M. Fulford, D.L. Dickenson and T.M. Murray (eds.) The
Blackwell Reader in Healthcare Ethics Oxford: Basil Blackwell 2002
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Social justice for education: what kind of theory is needed?’ The School Field (Special Issue:
Justice in/and Education) XII (1/2) 2001
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Theorising social justice for
education’ Annual Conference of the Philosophy of Education Society of
Great Britain Oxford April 2000
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Collaboration and partnership in question: knowledge, politics and practice’ Journal of Education
Policy (Special Issue: Philosophical Perspectives on Education Policy)
15 (4) 2000 Provides a framework for critiquing assumptions
about the collaboration process, highlighting concepts of public space and
power. Key issues are the private-public distinction and the "public
space" metaphor. Collective spaces are made by groups (formal institutions
or persons), who can debate with each other and act. (Contains 42
references.)
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Playing at/as being authentic’
in J. Swift (ed.) Art Education Discourses: Leaf and Seed
Birmingham:ARTicle Press 1999
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Aiming for a fair education: what use is philosophy?’ in R. Marples (ed.) Aims of Education
London and New York: Routledge 1999
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Principles of social justice in educational research: the case of contract research’
The School Field X (1/2) (1999) Delineates
small-scale contract-research principles predicated on an understanding of
social justice and of research purposes, epistemological issues, and
possibilities for ethical and political action. Principles embrace
improvement, knowledge and learning, changed belief systems, collaboration
and consultation, openness to other communities, reflexivity, and
responsibility. Two cases are profiled. (24 references)
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Towards a theoretical framework for understanding social justice in educational practice’
Educational Philosophy and Theory 30 (2) 1998
Morwenna Griffiths,
Educational Research for Social Justice: Getting off the Fence
Buckingham: Open University Press 1998
The book explores the occurrence of bias, equity,
gender and justice in conducting and summarising research. This text is
aimed primarily at the researcher as a study guide to improve self
awareness when addressing questions in the sphere of social science. The
author also analyses the definition of social sciences as a sub-discipline
by human cultural constructs. Gives advice on taking a more rounded
approach to social science research.
Morwenna Griffiths and Margaret Whitford
Feminist Perspectives in Philosophy London and Indiana: Macmillan, and
Indiana University Press 1988
Morwenna Griffiths, David Bridges and Wilfred Carr
Cambridge Journal of Education:
Special issue on Philosophy and Educational Research 1997
Morwenna Griffiths and Margaret Whitford, Women
Review Philosophy: New Writing by Women in Philosophy Nottingham
University 1996
Morwenna Griffiths,
Feminisms and the Self: The Web of Identity London and New
York: Routledge 1995 What does the politics of the self
mean for a politics of liberation? Morwenna Griffiths argues that
mainstream philosophy, particularly the anglo-analytic tradition, needs to
tackle the issues of the self, identity, autonomy and self creation.
Although identity has been a central concern of feminist thought it has in
the main been excluded from philosophical analysis.
Feminisms and the Self is both a critique and a construction of
feminist philosophy. After the powerful challenges that postmodernism and
poststructuralism posed to liberation movements like feminism, Griffiths
book is an original and timely contribution to current debate surrounding
the notion of identity and subjectivity.
Morwenna Griffiths, Self-identity,
Self-esteem, and Social Justice Nottingham: University of Nottingham
1992
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Self-determination and learning to be cruel: gender, race and the construction of self in relation to bullying and harassment’ European Journal of Women’s
Studies 98 (2) 1998
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘The discourses of social justice in schools’ British Educational Research Journal 24 (3)
1998 Argues that it is possible to use and build on
contemporary theoretical and practical discourses surrounding issues of
social justice to improve schools. Describes a method of formulating, in
conjunction with practitioners, a set of theoretically-informed
social-justice principles for managing schools.
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Why teachers and philosophers need each other: philosophy and educational research’ Cambridge Journal
of Education (Special Issue: Philosophy and Educational Research) 27
(2) 1997 Presents an argument about the relationship of
philosophy to teaching and the way each could inform and change the other.
Rejects a metaphor of philosophy as a disconnected map for practitioners;
argues that this is unhelpful and that a means of communication between
the two areas must be found.
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Know thyself:
philosophy/self-study’ First International Conference of the Self-study
of Teacher Education Practices) Herstmonceux, Sussex August 1996
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Making a difference: feminism, postmodernism and the methodology of educational research’ British
Educational Research Journal 21 (2) 1995 Reviews and
describes different versions of feminism and postmodernism. Reviews the
current debate about the challenges that the two sets of theories offer to
traditional epistomologies. Concludes with suggestions about the influence
of feminism and postmodernism on educational research.
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Auto/biography and epistemology’ Educational Review 47 (1) 1995 The
focus in this paper is on the epistemological status of a range of methods
used in educational research and teacher education which may be called (auto)biographical.
On the one hand the epistemological soundness of such methods is in
question, while, on the other hand, traditional epistemology itself is
also in question as a result of a range of challenges, including those
coming from feminism. This paper focuses on the challenge from feminist
epistemologies. It is argued that feminists have demonstrated that
reliable knowledge can only be achieved through a process which includes,
fundamentally, the subjectivity or experiences of individuals and groups
of individuals; power and politics; and a dialectic of theory with
individual experiences. It is further argued that (auto)biographical
methods are well placed to include these factors, although not all (auto)biographies
will do so. It is concluded that some, but only some, (auto)biographical
methods are epistemo-ogically sound. The confessional, apolitical and
atheoretical ones are not so useful as those which take account of
politics and theories for public purposes.
Morwenna Griffiths and Marie Parker-Jenkins,
‘Methodological and ethical dilemmas in international research: school attendance and gender in Ghana’ Oxford Review of Education 20 (4)
1994
The paper provides a framework from which to critique
orthodox assumptions about the processes of collaboration, especially in
relation to the concepts of public space and power. Key issues are the
private-public distinction and the metaphor of 'public space'. The
critique is rooted in alternatives to orthodox, Liberal humanist
political perspectives in philosophy and draws on real examples of
collaboration. Some of these are from my own experiences of a number of
small-scale, policy-oriented, research projects and evaluations, both
commissioned and university-originated. Suggestions are made about
implications for the genesis of a politics of connection leading to
collective actions.
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Feminism, feelings and philosophy (selection)’ in D.C. Abel
Fifty Readings in Philosophy
New York: McGraw Hill 1994
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Self-identity and self-esteem: achieving equality in education’ Oxford Review of Education 19 (3)
1993
Psychological and educational theories about self-esteem
in education emphasise its dependence on achievement and/or
self-actualisation. Government recommendations follow their lead. In
this paper an alternative theory of self-esteem is developed, drawing on
feminist explorations of the politics of identity. Experiences of
'belonging' and 'not belonging' are central to the theory. The theory of
the self is compared with Liberal and Romantic theories, which underpin
the achievement-oriented understanding of self-esteem. Conclusions are
drawn about the relationship between the development of self-esteem of
children in schools, and educational policies of social justice. It is
argued that improvement of the self-esteem of minority or oppressed
groups would result in their empowerment and is, therefore, a political,
not a psychological, issue.
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Educational change and the
self’ British Journal of Educational Studies 41 (2) 1993
Morwenna Griffiths and Anne Seller,
‘The politics of identity, the politics of the self’ Women: A Cultural Review
(Special Issue: Gendering philosophy) 3 (2) 1992
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Autonomy and the fear of dependence’ Women’s Studies International Forum 15 (3) 1992
Autonomy is often thought to be a problem for women. I
suggest that the problem of autonomy is a problem for (some) men and that
they wish their problems onto the rest of us. The difficulty of
understanding autonomy and its related concepts of independence,
dependence, individuality, etc., is exacerbated by the present structure
of western traditions of thought, as shown by our language. Some things
are difficult to say in it. Feminist theory and practice have helped to
point up the contradictions and incoherence in masculine ways of talking.
Language needs reclaiming. I shall describe how this may be done as part
of a politics of reflection and action.
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Feminist concepts of the
practice of education’ European Conference of Women and Power,
Mantua, Italy, 1992 (Published version in Italian)
Morwenna Griffiths,
‘Self-identity and self-esteem: implications for school policy and classroom practice’ Annual
Conference of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain
Roehampton, April 1991
Psychological and educational theories about self-esteem
in education emphasise its dependence on achievement and/or
self-actualisation. Government recommendations follow their lead. In
this paper an alternative theory of self-esteem is developed, drawing on
feminist explorations of the politics of identity. Experiences of
'belonging' and 'not belonging' are central to the theory. The theory of
the self is compared with Liberal and Romantic theories, which underpin
the achievement-oriented understanding of self-esteem. Conclusions are
drawn about the relationship between the development of self-esteem of
children in schools, and educational policies of social justice. It is
argued that improvement of the self-esteem of minority or oppressed
groups would result in their empowerment and is, therefore, a political,
not a psychological, issue.
Morwenna Griffiths and Richard Smith,
‘Standing alone: dependence, independence and interdependence in the practice of education’ Annual Conference of the Philosophy of Education Society of
Great Britain Roehampton, and AERA in San Francisco April 1989
Independence and the related concepts of freedom and
autonomy are key terms in philosophy of education. Teacher educators are
keen on independence, but seem to hold different definitions of the
concept, and these various definitions do not co-exist happily. The
relative autonomy that one may be able to achieve is not to be had unless
one acknowledges one's dependence. Without that acknowledgment, the
independence that adults hurry toward and hurry their children toward,
does not bring the adult solidity and security that were expected. Of
course it is quite easy to get children to imitate and internalize the
conventional models of independence, but this does not last because true
autonomy requires that one have experienced and still be in touch with
one's feelings of dependence.
Morwenna Griffiths and Margaret Whitford,
‘Introduction’ in M. Griffiths and M. Whitford (eds.)
Feminist Perspectives in Philosophy London: Macmillan, and
Indiana University Press 1988
Morwenna Griffiths,
‘Feminism, feelings and philosophy’ in M. Griffiths and M. Whitford (eds.)
Feminist Perspectives in Philosophy London: Macmillan, and
Indiana University Press 1988
Morwenna Griffiths, ‘Why philosophy needs feminism’
Cogito 3 (3) 1989
Morwenna Griffiths and Richard Smith,
‘Standing alone: dependence, independence and interdependence’ Journal of
Philosophy of Education 23 (2) 1989 Independence and
the related concepts of freedom and autonomy are key terms in philosophy
of education. Teacher educators are keen on independence, but seem to hold
different definitions of the concept, and these various definitions do not
co-exist happily. The relative autonomy that one may be able to achieve is
not to be had unless one acknowledges one's dependence. Without that
acknowledgment, the independence that adults hurry toward and hurry their
children toward, does not bring the adult solidity and security that were
expected. Of course it is quite easy to get children to imitate and
internalize the conventional models of independence, but this does not
last because true autonomy requires that one have experienced and still be
in touch with one's feelings of dependence.
Morwenna Griffiths,
‘Strong feelings about computers’ Women’s Studies International Forum 11 (2) 1988
Women are becoming absent from the world of computers.
The reasons for this are related to the way computers have become
associated with technology. Technology and masculinity are also strongly
associated. The lack of logic of these associations is examined, and
their danger is noted. The danger arises because it is femininity rather
than masculinity which is associated with feelings and personal
relationships. Thus technology is taken to be unencumbered by feelings
and emotions, mistakenly so. As feminist theory and practice makes
clear, the unrecognised feelings push technological development in
undesirable directions. Unless both the illogicality of the associations
and their power are recognised, attempts to persuade women and girls to
take up computing may do as much harm as good, strengthening the very
associations which need to be weakened. Some strategies which would help
women and girls enter the computing world are discussed. It is pointed
out that any strategies that are tried need to be underpineed by three
things: vigilance, subversion, and the creation of an alternative
vision. Vigilance is needed to see what is going on: a continual
critical monitoring of the changing scene. Vigilance should lead to
subversion. Computer culture is man made and it needs to be feminised
from within. However, criticism and subversion fail if no alternative is
offered. An alternative vision is needed to see how else we could make
the world.
Morwenna Griffiths,
‘Teaching skills and the skills of teaching’ Journal of Philosophy of Education 21 (2) 1987
Morwenna Griffiths,
‘Hirst’s forms of knowledge and Korner’s categorial frameworks’ Oxford Review of Education 12 (2)
1986
Public policy on education is undergoing a number of
significant changes. Hirst's theory of the forms of knowledge is
influential in determining the direction of these. I consider his theory
and examine its philosophical underpinning. I conclude that, in the
absence of any other clear demonstration or argument, Hirst must be
relying on Korner's analysis of categorial frameworks. I show that
Korner's analysis only partly supports Hirst's theory. Further, I show
that, if Korner's theory is correct, Hirst's theory needs modifying. The
modification has practical implications for educational policy. I argue
that Hirst is right that children need to be introduced to knowledge
dealing with a range of ultimate categorial concepts. However, unlike
Hirst, I argue that knowledge is not to be reduced to verbal knowledge.
I also argue that there are not a limited number of forms of knowledge.
Indeed education should extend a cautious welcome to the new ways of
theorising that arise from different sectors of society. Moreover, there
is a difference between highly theoretical, abstract knowledge and less
theoretical concrete knowledge, which is highly significant in any
consideration of education 5-16, and which has been overlooked in the
theory.
Morwenna Griffiths,
‘Dunlop, expression and emotion’ Journal of Philosophy of Education 19 (2) 1985
Morwenna Griffiths,
‘Emotions and education’
Journal of Philosophy of Education 18 (2) 1984
