Pedagogy of Reflective Inquiry: Racial Inequity, Racist
Policy and Anti-Racist Teaching
By Dale Snauwaert, Ph.D., The University of Toledo
Special to The Truth
The aim of this teach-in
was to explore the theory and practice of a pedagogy of
reflective inquiry as a form of anti-racist teaching. The
teach-in engaged participants in the process of three forms
of reflective inquiry pertaining to racial inequity, racist
policy, and racism: critical, ethical, and contemplative
reflective inquiry.
The idea of a pedagogy of
reflective inquiry is derived from the work of peace
educator
Betty Reardon. Her conception of teaching is grounded in the
educational theories of John
Dewey and Paulo Freire. Dewey conceived education as a
process of the reconstruction of
experience leading to the development of the capacities of
students. The key to learning and
development for Dewey was reflective inquiry into lived
experience or what he called reflective
experience.
Freire advocated a
pedagogy of dialogue and critical analysis of power and
oppression in
order to liberate and empower students. Reardon builds on
these conceptions in the form of
three forms of reflective inquiry: critical, ethical, and
contemplative. Critical reflection pertains
to the discernment of power, an understanding and critique
of social institutions, analysis of the structural
dimensions of social life, and a critical consciousness (in
a Freireian sense) of the political–economic origins of
violence. Ethical reflection addresses normative questions
of justice, and thereby the ethical validity of structural
and cultural violence, guided by the principles of justice
and a human rights framework. Contemplative reflection is
the self-examination of internal moral motivation and
commitment. It pertains to a reflection on what is
meaningful and valuable. It also involves the exercise of
imagination to envision alternative realities necessary for
transformative action.
The purpose of the
teach-in was to apply these pedagogical methods of
reflective inquiry to the
phenomenom of racism. Following Ibram X. Kendi, racial
discrimination was defined as a function of equity—If racial
discrimination creates inequity, then it is racist. A racist
policy is that which produces and/or sustains racial
inequity defined as generating inequality in
the standing, benefits, and burdens of racial groups. Based
upon these conceptions, racism is
defined as the collection of racist policies that produce
racial inequity, which is in turn sustained by racist ideas,
that is, ideas of inferiority and superiority among racial
groups. Racism is both structurally and culturally violence.
As such, it is an urgent matter of justice.
A just society, what Martin Luther King referred to as the
“beloved community” is
grounded in a form of “love” expressed by the ancient Greek
word agape. Agape is the moral
disposition to respond to others with unconditional respect
and good will. Its exercise does not
discriminate among persons but responds to their equal
inherent dignity. In doing so it bestows membership in an
inclusive moral community. Justice requires equal respect
for persons. As Cornel West suggests: “Justice is what love
looks like in public.” Anything short of mutual respect is
dehumanizing, and the essence of injustice is
dehumanization; as Dr. King stated in his Letter from the
Birmingham City Jail: “Any law that uplifts human
personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality
is unjust; The idea of a beloved community is related to the
African concept of Ubuntu, which constitutes a relational,
communal conception of personhood and ethics—affirming and
pursuing communal relationships grounded in mutual dignity
and respect. From this perspective, injustice is the
degradation of communal relations causing dehumanization.
Through deliberation in small group discussion, the
participants engaged in the process of reflective inquiry
pertaining to racial inequity, racist policy, and racism.
Dr. Snauwaert’s full presentation and references for further
study can be accessed in the Anti-
Racism Teach-Ins archive, on the Sojourner’s Truth website
at thetruthtoledo.com.
King Letter from Birmingham Jail
Reflective
Pedagogy, Cosmopolitanism, and Critical Peace Education for
Political
Anti-Racism Teach-Ins Continue
Anti-Racism Teach-Ins, hosted by the Toledo-Lucas County
Public Library and supported
by The Sojourner’s Truth, are taking place on Zoom twice
weekly through Labor Day. The
teach-ins are open to the public with a special invitation
to teachers, administrators and parents who want a safe
space to work together to learn about, challenge and change
white supremacy in schools.
Join in Zoom meetings, 5-6
pm Mondays and Wednesdays at
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87347454267, meeting ID: 873 4745
4267. On Facebook, follow
Anti-Racism Teach-Ins at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053978557767
for the
schedule and links to materials shared in teach-ins. When
the coronavirus is under control and
limitations on gatherings are lifted, sessions will take
place at the Mott Branch Library and
continue to be accessible via Zoom.
Here we print synopses of
the first to presentations, by Shingi Mavima, PhD, and Dale
Snauwaert, PhD. Materials from presentations are available
on the Truth’s website at
thetruthtoledo.com
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