Hogescholen zijn dienstbaar aan de samenleving, zo valt te lezen in de strategische onderwijsagenda van het hoger beroepsonderwijs. Maar wat houdt deze publieke functie precies in? Het gedachtegoed van politiek denker Hannah Arendt biedt docenten en beleidsmakers ten minste drie handelingsperspectieven. De auteur illustreert deze drie perspectieven met voorbeelden uit de onderwijspraktijk. http://henriettajoosten.nl/
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Hoofdstuk in bundel Aan het werk met Hannah Arendt. Het werk van de politiek denker Hannah Arendt (1906 - 1975) is populairder dan ooit. Voor professionals in onderwijs, zorg en sociaal werk is er echter nog geen toegankelijk boek over haar prikkelende en soms controversiële ideeën. Deze bundel voorziet in deze leemte. Verkrijgbaar: https://www.managementboek.nl/boek/9789492538192/aan-het-werk-met-hannah-arendt-joop-berding
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In this article, I present a philosophical perspective on Kunneman’s concept of ‘amor complexitatis’ based on the philosophical work of Hannah Arendt. I analyse the two constituting elements, ‘amor’ and ‘complexitas’. In opposition to most classic philosophers who engage with the vita contemplativa, the eternal decontextualized aspects of life, Arendt was concerned with the vita activa, a philosophy of the world. She distinguishes three human activities: labour, which corresponds to the biological functions of the body; work which creates enduring artefacts in the world and is a predictable, instrumental activity; and action which is political in nature and is the result of humans dealing with the inherent plurality of the world. It is the realm of difference where people engage in discussion, interaction, and narratives to generate ideas, etc. The outcome of human action is unpredictable and therefore always holds the potential for something new to emerge, which Arendt calls ‘natality’, a central concept in her philosophy. Plurality is the precondition for political life. Removal or denial of difference and plurality is catastrophic for the vita activa and the realm of the political. Arendt and Kunneman are both part of a philosophical tradition which critiques modernity’s instrumentalization of human action. Both engage with the concept of love to deal with the complexities of human action without abolishing these complexities. Drawing on the work of Biesta, I then critically discuss Arendt’s perspective on education. Arendt proclaims an education for the world and it is the role of the teacher to engage the child into this world with all its complexities. The analysis of the concept of complexitas in education reveals three dimensions, each related to a particular key concept of Arendt’s philosophy: plurality, action and natality. I end this contribution with a discussion of the practical implications of Arendt’s views for teaching in the light of normative professionalism.
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Citizen participation is booming, especially the number of urban bottom-up initiatives where information and communication technologies (ICT) are deployed is increasing rapidly. This growth is good news for society as recent historical research shows that the more citizens actively and persistently interfere with public issues, the more likely a society will be resilient. And yet, at the same time, a growing number of scholars argue that due to the unprecedented impact of ICT, the public sphere is at stake. How to understand both trends? How do the anti-‘public sphere’ developments relate to the growing number of citizens’ initiatives using ICT? And if these citizen initiatives can indeed be understood as manifestations of public spheres, how can ICT foster or hinder the development of these public spheres? These questions will be explored by analyzing a Dutch citizen initiative called ‘Buuv’ (an online ‘market’ place for and by local residents) from a ‘public sphere’ perspective. The author will turn to The human condition (1958) of Hannah Arendt in order to elaborate a ‘public sphere’ perspective. An Arendtian perspective (as any perspective) highlights, however, some aspects and underexposes other aspects. Furthermore, chances are that Arendt’s thoughts are somewhat outdated, in the sense that we now live in a world where the online and the offline life intertwine — an experience that is referred to with the term ‘onlife’. Bearing these remarks in mind, the author will elaborate on the value of Arendt’s ideas to 1) the endeavor of understanding current trends in society—more urban bottom-up initiatives and anti-‘public sphere’ developments due to the broad uptake of ICT—and 2) the endeavor of revitalizing the public sphere in an onlife world. IEEE copyright
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Podcast In deze nieuwe aflevering ga ik in gesprek met Hanke Drop en Joop Berding over een onconventionele maar fundamentele vraag: Kan schoonheid een ideaal zijn in het onderwijs? Wat betekent het om het concept van schoonheid een serieuze plek te geven binnen het curriculum, de pedagogiek en de dagelijkse onderwijspraktijk? We onderzoeken hoe schoonheid zich verhoudt tot kunst, pedagogische idealen en de ontwikkeling van verbeeldingskracht bij kinderen. Wat gebeurt er wanneer scholen niet alleen gericht zijn op kennisoverdracht, maar ook op het stimuleren van creativiteit, makerschap en betekenisvolle ervaringen? Is het artistieke proces wellicht even belangrijk – of zelfs belangrijker – dan het eindproduct? Hanke en Joop reflecteren op het belang van ‘maken’ in relatie tot denken en leren, met inspiratie uit onder andere het werk van Hannah Arendt. We bespreken de rol van de leraar als begeleider van esthetische ervaringen, en hoe kunst ruimte kan creëren voor spel, verwondering en morele vorming binnen het onderwijs. Ook komt de spanning aan bod tussen onderwijs als vormingsproces en het toenemende economische denken, waarbij efficiëntie, meetbaarheid en resultaat centraal staan. Wat betekent dat voor ruimte voor schoonheid en creativiteit in het curriculum? Luister (of kijk) mee – en laat vooral weten wat schoonheid voor jóu in het onderwijs betekent!
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Bildung can be seen as a pedagogy of Interruption that opens up a “concern for publicness” (Biesta 2011) This in order "to disclose the identity of the agent, and to actualize our capacity for freedom. To perform what is “infinitely improbable”. (Arendt 1958) The function of such education is Subjectification: the ways in which students can be(come) subjects in their own right and not just remain objects of the desires and directions of others. (Biesta 2010).
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In this article, the author will question the seemingly obvious boundary between civil disobedience, as conceptualised by Rawls and Arendt, and several examples of criminal, or simply annoying, activities which don't meet their criteria, such as the case of the ‘Top 50'. The ‘Top 50' are multi-problem Dutch-Caribbean men, who refuse to adapt to predominant norms in Dutch society. IThe author argues that political aspects of their behaviour should be acknowledged, even if they engage in criminal behaviour and don't present explicit political goals. Firstly, she questions the way in which Rawls based his definition on a centralistic conception of governmental power and contrast it with Foucault's conception of normalising power, in which power is diffuse and cannot be restricted to the enactment of formal laws. Secondly, she discusses what the minimum requirements are to be able to classifyacts as civil disobedience. Rawls and Arendt draw a clear line between criminal behaviour and civil disobedience, but their requirements may be too strict. We might miss signals of injustice if actions that do not meet these criteria are excluded from the political discourse. The conclusion is that comparing Arendt's and Rawls' conception of civil disobedience with the behaviour of a marginal migrant group may be useful in questioning the boundaries of this concept and in making it more inclusive. A wider conception of civil disobedience may help to explain the meaning of deviant behaviour in terms of social critique and to challenge the traditional understanding of civil disobedience.
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The aim of this article is to deconstruct the utopian character of Israel by analysing the case of Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem. In this illustration of how cultural heritage became dominated by Israel's utopia, this article proposes to create an inspirational alternative. Therefore, two tales of Bethlehem will be juxtaposed. Participatory observation and interviews were conducted in order to examine the context of Rachel's Tomb as well as the family of Claire Anastas. On this platform, different groups of people were invited to discuss complex political issues within the context of alternative tourism. By using Arendt's concept of the ‘agora’ and Habermas' theoretical framework, the lifeworld situation of the Palestinians has been addressed seriously. This creates the necessary condition in order to create hope in a highly politically unstable situation, such as the occupation and colonisation of the Palestinian territories. A critical value-laden perspective supports a stronger concept of communicative action in controversial areas. This concept functions as a structured approach to find an escape from the utopian supremacy of the Israeli ideology. It is an inclusive attempt to create room for a plural dialogue between all the lifeworlds of this region, Palestinians and Israelis.
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Sociaal werkers ondersteunen kwetsbare burgers. Elke keer is dat zoeken wat voor deze mens in deze situatie passend is. Behalve door praktische en theoretische kennis en een methodische aanpak, laat een professional zich sturen door het perspectief en de waarden van het beroep. Voor sociaal werkers staat de waarde ‘sociale rechtvaardigheid’ centraal. In dit artikel verbind ik kwetsbaarheid als kenmerk van de doelgroep van sociaal werkers aan sociale rechtvaardigheid als richtinggevende waarde.
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In this short article the author reflects on AI’s role in education by posing three questions about its application: choosing a partner, grading assignments, and replacing teachers. These questions prompt discussions on AI’s objectivity versus human emotional depth and creativity. The author argues that AI won’t replace teachers but will enhance those who embrace its potential while understanding its limits. True education, the author asserts, is about inspiring renewal and creativity, not merely transmitting knowledge, and cautions against letting AI define humanity’s future.
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