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POSSIBILITIES FOR NEW BEGINNINGS: OPPRESSION, SOCIAL AGENCY, AND EDUCATION by Rula Kahil A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education University of Toronto ©Copyright by Rula Kahil (2008) Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-45238-7 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-45238-7 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. Canada POSSIBILITIES FOR NEW BEGINNINGS: OPPRESSION, SOCIAL AGENCY, AND EDUCATION Masters of Arts, 2008 Rula Kahil Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education University of Toronto Abstract This thesis investigates the philosophical justification for teachers as social agents given especially conditions of oppression and despair. This investigation tak,es place through discussing Paulo Freire's work on oppression and liberatory education, and Maxine Greene's work on imagination and social agency. When applied to the context of the thesis, Limitations of both works are pointed out and a common ground of both is suggested. An alternative of some of Freire's and Greene's work moved by Lugones' position, "in between either or" is offered, and a rationale is given on its significance in resisting hierarchies of domination and subjugation asserted through denying one's multiplicity. Implications of such positions and perceptions on the educational realm and on teachers' work as social agents are discussed. Suggestions for work at the university, school, and community levels are made. Limitations and suggestions for further work on topics elicited by the thesis work are presented. II ACKNOWLEGEMENTS This thesis is a result of the love, encouragement, and care of many people. Without their presence in my life, this accomplishment would not have been possible. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and appreciation to few of them. I first thank my loving husband for all the support and belief he has in me. I thank him for going beyond the conventional and allowing me to be! I also thank my children, Loulwa and Nour, for being so patient, mature, and supportive of my absence. I thank my parents for supporting my journey and taking pride and involvement while I am away from home, from my family, and from them. I want to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to my supervisor Professor John Portelli, for his excellent academic guidance and support of all my work and ideas. Thank you for understanding, encouraging, and always challenging me to go beyond what I start with. I also want to thank Professor Mark Evans, whose gentle remarks and positive feed back anchored my thinking and encouraged me. Thank you for your gentleness and care. I thank my former principal and friend, Geri Branch, for helping me realize that "things could be otherwise" and for pushing me to "new possibilities." I thank all my friends, the old and the new, for all the love I was surrounded with during my movement between different worlds! I specifically thank my dear colleague Sara Khoury for taking on a huge job revising and editing my work. Thanks for all your love and dedication. iii To Dad The first educator liberator in my life, whose words, actions, and dedication to education became part of who I am. To Geri Branch An educator liberator of the twenty first century, whose love, humility, and belief in each individual is an inspiration to me. To Loulwa and Nour, my children May you encounter some of those educator liberators in your life time. IV Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Chapter One: Introduction, Background, and Context 1 Introduction and background 1 Section one 2 The Context of the Topic 2 Historical background of education in Lebanon 4 Aspects of Neoliberalism 8 Lebanon and the impact of Neoliberalism 9 Personal narratives 11 Research question 15 Significance of the study 16 Theoretical framework and overview of chapters 17 Chapter Two: Oppression, New Beginning, and Imagination 20 Section one: 21 Definition of some Key Concepts 21 The rationale behind choosing the work of Paulo Freire and Maxine Greene 22 Paulo Freire's work 22 Maxine Greene's work 24 Section Two: 26 On Oppression and Paulo Freire's work 26 The Importance of the Context of the Leader and Involvement in Reality 26 Oppression as an Act of Dehumanization 27 The Relationship of the Oppressed and Oppressors 28 The fear of freedom 28 The Role of education 29 Praxis as an Educational and Self- Realization Tool 30 Banking and Libratory Education 31 The Libratory system of Education and Awareness 32 The Relationship between the Liberator Teacher/Social agent and the learner 33 The Problem-Posing method in the Libratory system of Education 34 Characteristics of the Problem-Posing Educator 35 The Significance of Dialogue 35 Section three: 36 Maxine Greene; Background and Influence on Education 36 Self-reflection and wide-awakening 38 Interrogation and Anxiety 39 The Educational Realm and the Role of the Teacher 39 The Liberator Educator/Social agent 40 The Role of Imagination in Learning 41 Taking Risks; Imagination and Empathy 42 Literature and imagination 43 Metaphor in literature 44 v Imagination and the Liberator Social Agent Teacher 45 The Tasks of the Social Agent Teacher 46 The Process of Teaching for Social Agency and Liberation 46 Agency as a Social Endeavour and a Need for Space and Place 47 Chapter Three: Freire and Greene: Limitations, Common Ground and a Move from Either / Or to "In Between Either/Or" 50 Section one: Limitations and Common Ground in Freire's and Greene's Work 51 Limitations perceived in Freire's work 51 Awareness of the reality of oppression 52 The sharp distinction between the oppressed and the oppressor 52 Differences in Oppression 53 Oppression in Neoliberalism 55 Limitations Perceived in Greene's Work 56 A Special Emphasis on the Importance of Literature 57 Accessibility of literature in multiple of contexts 57 Teachers and awareness of literature 59 A Common Ground for Freire's and Greene's Work 60 Section Two: 62 Either/Or, or "In the Middle of Either/Or" 62 Fellows and Razzack's perception of the Outsider and Insider 64 Historical Account on the Hierarchies of Domination 65 The race to innocence 66 A Reversed Perspective of Outsider/Insider, the Oppressed and the Oppressor 67 The permeability of the two notions; the outsider and the insider 68 Purity/ impurity and plurality 70 Two acts of separation 70 Mestizaje as curdling and multiplicity 72 Multiplicity and Imagination 73 A personal account on fragmentation and multiplicity 75 Chapter Four: Education and possibilities 77 Section one: 77 Education and situated knowledges 77 Educational attempts and connection to institutions 78 Educational Institutions and the Teachers Within 79 Arrogant Perceptions and Teaching 81 The impact of the Educational/Political System and Institutions 83 Section two: 84 Suggestions for work at the University level 84 Suggestion for Work at the School level 87 Creating Contexts for Connection 87 Teachers' and Students' Dialogue and Narratives 87 Reflection and problem- posing 89 Examples on reflection and taking perspectives 90 Work at the community level 91 Section Three: 93 Reflections and conclusions 93 vi Final Thoughts 96 References 98 VII Possibilities For New Beginnings CHAPTER ONE Introduction, Background, and Context Introduction and background What if we discover that our present way of life is irreconcilable with our vocation to become folly human? (Paulo Freire as cited in Wheatley, 2002, p. 63) Many are the discussions, forums, and books written on issues related to social justice, social agency, oppression and responsibility in education. Many of the issues discussed are considered to be a human endeavour and responsibility that some politicians, philosophers, and educators regard as their mission to make a difference in life. However, real work and discovering our vocation as being fully human, is rooted in one's immediate context and lived experiences. How can one be aware of the lack of and need for social agency, the presence of and impact of oppression if one's life experiences are not irreconcilable with such realities? Cole & Knowles (2001) assert the importance of lived experiences in one's context: Lives are never lived in complete isolation from social contexts.