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The missing paradigm Sophie E. Gelski A thesis submitted to the University of Sydney in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies School of Languages and Cultures Faculty of Arts University of Sydney 2010 Declaration I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person, nor material that has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma of a university or institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. Signed ___________________________ Date _____________________ i Acknowledgements This thesis is dedicated to my mother, Irene (Tubi) Havas, who would have been immensely proud. First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Associate Professor Suzanne Rutland not only for giving generously of her time, but also for her support and her meticulous attention to detail. Second, I would like to thank my associate supervisor, Professor Sol Encel not only for giving generously of his time, for his penetrating intellect and wealth of knowledge, wisdom and experience, but also for always gently steering me in the right direction. Third, I would like to thank Marti Marosszeky, a treasured friend, for her constructive comments and encouragement throughout this process. Finally, I would like to thank my husband Richard, my children Jacquie, Alexander and David for their patience and love. ii Abstract This study explores the ways in which teachers’ biographies shape the act of teaching. It illuminates the formative (emotional, private, personal and professional) influences and experiences in teachers’ lives and work. After offering a detailed examination of the most significant ‘players’ (teachers’ educational beliefs, emotional connection and/or emotional knowledge of the subject matter; context and history syllabi) co-performing with the history teacher, the study then specifically focuses on the intersections between teachers’ emotional and personal history; their emotional knowledge and orientation to the subject matter; their pedagogical choices and the contexts (the type of school and in particular the subject’s locations in that school) within which they teach. The research is inter-disciplinary and is premised upon theoretical and empirical studies in: teaching history, historical empathy, teaching the Holocaust, biography, modalities of teachers’ knowledge, emotion in education, teachers’ educational beliefs and context. It is a qualitative multiple-case study of 20 teachers working in 15 disparate schools and subject locations. The qualitative empirical materials gathered for the study have allowed single and cross-case comparisons to be made within the study through examining both the individual and collective meanings that teachers bring to their work. Once this information is interpreted, a clearer picture emerges of what it is that history teachers regard as being most influential in affecting their choice of content or even their orientation to their subject matter. By discovering the emotional, private and personal dimensions of teachers’ knowledge (an area which has to date been virtually unrecognised and/or acknowledged), this study has not only added to existing knowledge, but it has invited inquiry into a whole new area—second generation emotional knowledge (SGEK ). This is a dimension of emotional knowledge that is unique and, as yet, uncharted. iii Contents Declaration i Acknowledgements ii Abstract iii Contents iv Appendices viii Glossary ix Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Landscape of the research, perspective and size 2 (i) (Holocaust) Second Generation 3 Jonathan 3 (ii) Jewish South Africans 4 Claire 4 (iii) Sympathetic Gentile(s) 5 James 5 (iv) Switching Worlds 6 Philip 6 (v) Professionally Connected 7 Gillian 7 Outline of the study 9 Conclusion 12 Chapter 2: Literature review 13 Introduction 13 Part 1: Teaching history 14 Part 2: Historical empathy 22 Imagination, fantasy or make believe 24 Empathy 24 Empathy as distinct from sympathy 25 Empathy and emotional identification 27 Part 3: Teaching the Holocaust 28 Part 4: Biography 43 Part 5: Modalities of teachers’ knowledge: professional, personal and emotional 45 Professional knowledge 46 Personal knowledge 48 Understanding Emotion 56 Emotion in education 62 (Holocaust) second generation—emotional knowledge (SGEK) 64 Second generation Australian World War II veterans’ emotional knowledge (SGEK) 71 Part 6: Beliefs 76 iv Part 7: Context 79 Chapter 3: Methodology 82 Introduction 82 Theoretical orientation 82 Symbolic interaction 84 Qualitative research 85 The researcher-as-interpreter 85 Case study research 86 The decision trail 87 Sampling decisions 88 Ethics 89 Methods of collection and analysis of empirical materials 90 The interview 91 Types of questions 92 Closing the interview 93 Recording and transcribing the interview 94 Listening 96 Creating and assigning categories 97 Aligning categories, properties and dimensions 100 Composing a truthful account 102 Managing and celebrating subjectivity 102 Conclusion 104 Chapter 4: Biographies: Their emotional and social locations: (Holocaust) second generation and Jewish South Africans 105 Introduction 105 Socialisation - becoming a member of society 105 How socialisation is possible: taking the role of ‘the other’ 107 Identity 108 Family 108 Community 109 Secondary socialisation 110 Stratification of society 110 Education 111 Switching worlds 112 (Holocaust) second generation - cultural orphans (1 – 6) 113 1. Esther 113 2. Judith 115 3. Rebecca 118 4. Irene 120 5. Jonathan 122 6. Adrian 125 Analysis & Conclusion – the (Holocaust) second generation 129 Socialisation: descendants of Holocaust survivors 130 Outsider 131 v Second Generation Emotional Knowledge — (SGEK) 132 Emotional knowledge — Dominance of grief 133 Jewish South African teachers - ‘it could have been us’ (7 – 10) 135 7. Natalie 135 8. Rachel 136 9. Claire 138 10. Janet 140 Analysis & Conclusion: Jewish South African teachers 142 Socialisation 142 Conclusion 143 Chapter 5: Biographies cont’d: Sympathetic Gentile, Switching Worlds & Professionally Connected 144 Sympathetic Gentile (11) 144 11. James 144 Switching Worlds (12) 146 12. Philip 146 Professionally connected (13 – 20) 149 13. Simon 149 14. Olivia 151 15. Ethan 152 16. Amelia 153 17. Charlotte 154 18. Sandra 156 19. Gillian 157 20. Jack 160 Conclusions: Sympathetic gentile switching worlds & professionally connected 162 Sympathetic gentile 162 Switching worlds 163 Professionally connected 164 Conclusion 165 Chapter 6: Biography: Asset or Hindrance 166 Introduction 166 The personalisation of ‘history’ 166 Does biography matter? 171 Conclusion 175 Chapter 7: Feeling or knowing the Holocaust 176 Introduction 176 Pedagogical and emotional issues in teaching the Holocaust 178 Reasons for teaching the Holocaust 178 A fine balance: how much [horror] is too much 184 To test or not: an emotional or pragmatic question 190 Same as or different from 193 Emotion work 199 Conclusion 202 Chapter 8: The [in]communicability of Auschwitz 205 Introduction 205 vi Historical empathy 205 Understanding the concept 205 Controversy about the use of historical empathy 206 Using historical empathy — the communicability of Auschwitz 208 Avoiding historical empathy — the incommunicability of Auschwitz 211 Beliefs 211 The incommunicability of Auschwitz 211 Trivialisation 213 Emotional knowledge or emotional connection — ‘too close and too raw’ 215 Context — small worlds, different worlds 216 HSC and VCE 220 Outcomes: teaching history: teaching Jewish history 222 Historical knowledge: Knowledge of the facts 223 Critical thinking 224 Global citizenship 225 ‘Schooling’ emotion 226 Conclusion 229 Chapter 9: Conclusion 231 Introduction 231 Level 1: External objective and academic 232 Researcher’s assumptions & beliefs 232 Level 2: Internal subjective and emotional 235 The contribution of this research 236 Where to next: Areas for potential research 240 References 242 Appendices 263 vii Appendices 1. Ethics approval letter from the University of Sydney Human Ethics committee. 2. Past HSC Modern History examination questions on Twentieth Century Germany 1919-1945. viii Glossary Am Yisrael Chai the Hebrew saying, ‘Long Live the People of Israel’ B’nei Akiva literally ‘Sons of Akiva’ in Hebrew; the name of a religious Zionist youth movement B’nai B’rith literally ‘Sons of the Covenant’ in Hebrew The Independent Order of B’nai B’rith is the oldest continually-operating Jewish service organisation in the world. The organisation is engaged in a wide variety of community service and welfare activities, including assisting hospitals, awarding tertiary scholarships to Jewish students and opposing anti-Semitism and racism. Bar or Bat Mitzvah literally ‘Son’ or ‘Daughter of the Commandment’ The term Bar Mitzvah used to describe the coming of age of a Jewish boy (and Bat Mitzvah for girls) according to Jewish law, when Jewish children reach the age of majority (generally 13 years for boys, and twelve for girls) they become responsible for their own actions and become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah . Prior to this the child’s parents are responsible for the child’s adherence to Jewish law and tradition, and after this age children bear their own responsibility for Jewish ritual, tradition, and ethics and are privileged to participate in all areas of Jewish community life. Bund the name of the Eastern European Jewish