The Implications of Wendell Berry's Cultural Critique
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“THE PROPHETIC AMERICAN VOICE OF OUR DAY”: THE IMPLICATIONS OF WENDELL BERRY’S CULTURAL CRITIQUE FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY by Betty Ann Driver Dissertation Committee: Professor Howard R. Budin, Sponsor Professor J. Philip Smith Approved by the Committee on the Degree of Doctor of Education Date 16 May 2018 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in Teachers College, Columbia University 2018 ABSTRACT “THE PROPHETIC AMERICAN VOICE OF OUR DAY”: THE IMPLICATIONS OF WENDELL BERRY’S CULTURAL CRITIQUE FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Betty Ann Driver This study examines Wendell Berry’s cultural critique to identify implications for American education. It explores three themes in Berry’s fiction: land and place, community, and character, and considers Berry’s observations about education in his non-fiction and interviews. The health of natural resources is a fundamental value for Berry who believes that human beings have a moral obligation to be stewards of the Earth. Practicing stewardship enables the creation of valuable places. A vital connection links the health of the natural world and human community. Healthy communities are radically inclusive, work for a sustainable future, and care for those with special needs. Community “members” exemplify qualities of character, knowledge of the community, good work, and neighborliness, all essential for responsible stewardship. The study assesses Berry’s claims that: (1) formal schooling often lacks vibrant association with the local community; (2) our reliance on discrete academic disciplines fosters over-specialization and academic isolation; and (3) the standard for education should be revamped to focus on the health of the community rather than job preparation. American education often serves economic and political agendas that ignore the well-being of natural resources and human communities. In spite of our daunting challenges, Berry maintains hope and charts constructive steps forward. Students learn best, he believes, through apprenticeship and mentoring. The study concludes that with substantive changes education can play a major role in enabling students to grasp the needs of a healthy, life-supporting planet and to develop the skills, values, and disciplines of responsible community members. Replacing corporate-dominated, technology-driven, and shortsighted attitudes and behaviors with restorative practices and values requires commitment from all of society’s sectors, and perhaps especially from our schools, colleges, and universities. Copyright Betty Ann Driver 2018 All Rights Reserved ii DEDICATION With abiding love, respect, and gratitude, I dedicate this dissertation to the honor and memory of my parents, Ann Cherrington Driver (1917-2012) and Russell Broyles Driver (1918-2010). Both were deeply committed to education, were life-long learners, and made many sacrifices to provide educational opportunities for their children. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many friends, family members, and educators supported me as I completed this degree. I am especially grateful to the faculty who served on the dissertation defense committee. Special appreciation goes to Professor Howard R. Budin for his consistent and focused guidance and encouragement. I am grateful to Professor Hope Leichter for her enthusiasm for my study and chairing the defense. Professor J. Philip Smith provided a thoughtful sounding board and generously offered constructive suggestions for the manuscript. And Professor Sheridan Blau brought astute questions and insights to the discussion. Appreciation also goes to Professors René Arcilla and Douglas Sloan for their support during the study’s formative stages and to Professor David Hansen for his encouragement. Friends who made especial contributions of support include Monica Brooker, Karen Collins, Judith A. Conn, Joel and Trudy Cunningham, Patricia Dahl, Lynne M. Deming, Charlene Floyd, Davis L. Gardner, Cheryl A. Melchiorre, Dianne Marcucci- Sadnytzky, and Robert J. Schwarz. For support and understanding at work, my appreciation goes to the Teachers College Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology. I am thankful for many family members who offered sustaining encouragement, especially my sister, Sarah D. Flick, and my brothers, Russell C. and H. Graham Driver. My studies at Teachers College would not have happened were it not for the friendship and mentorship of Professor Maxine Greene. Her willingness to guide my transition to both the city and the college was an unexpected good fortune. I am grateful for her care and inspiration. And last, as others have also noted, we would not be discussing the value of Wendell Berry’s wisdom and its eloquent expression were it not for his skill and iv dedicated commitment. Our world is hungry for his message, and I hope my study will contribute to its dissemination and further influence. B.A.D. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Chapter I—INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................1 What the Study Will Do .....................................................................................1 Why the Study Is Important ...............................................................................7 Framing the Conversation ................................................................................13 Biographical and Interpretive Studies .....................................................13 Broad Educational Concerns...................................................................19 Specific Educational Issues and Contexts ...............................................24 Various Literary Perspectives .................................................................44 Methodology ....................................................................................................49 Chapter II—THE THEME OF LAND AND PLACE IN BERRY’S FICTION .........52 Our Duty to be Stewards of the Natural World ...............................................52 Stewardship of Natural Resources Creates Places of Value ............................69 Chapter III—THE THEME OF COMMUNITY IN BERRY’S FICTION .................81 Port William Cares for Those with Special Needs ..........................................82 Port William Responds to the Elderly ...........................................................104 Chapter IV—THE THEME OF CHARACTER IN BERRY’S FICTION ................127 Andy Catlett: A Life of Discernment.............................................................129 Jack Beechum: Endurance, Good Work, and Dignity ...................................139 Beechum’s Initial Goals ........................................................................140 Disappointment in Marriage .................................................................144 Settling the Debt ...................................................................................148 Disenchantment with the New ..............................................................151 vi Jayber Crow: Port William Philosopher ........................................................155 The Theme of Community in Jayber Crow ..........................................158 The Theme of Character in Jayber Crow .............................................161 The Theme of Land and Place in Jayber Crow ....................................164 Philosophical Questions for the Port William Philosopher ..................167 Chapter V—HOW WENDELL BERRY VIEWS EDUCATION .............................176 Berry’s Reflections on His Own Experience in Education ............................177 Berry Observes Trends and Practices in American Education ......................186 Berry’s Major Concerns about Education......................................................215 Berry’s Proposal for the Standard of Education ............................................235 Chapter VI—INTEGRATION: EDUCATIONAL CONCERNS, KEY IDEAS, AND THEMES IN THE FICTION ......................................................242 Chapter Introduction ......................................................................................242 Education and the Local Community ............................................................246 Summary of Educational Concern ........................................................246 The Educational Concern Relates to Key Ideas in Berry’s Work ........251 Discussion of key idea: The connectedness of the created world ............................................................................................251 Discussion of key idea: The created world is sacred ...................254 Discussion of key idea: The disrespect for things small ..............256 Discussion of key idea: Human beings have choices ..................262 The Educational Concern Relates to Themes in Berry’s Fiction ..........265 Specialization and Academic Disciplines ......................................................270 Summary of Educational Concern ........................................................275 The Educational Concern Relates to Key Ideas in Berry’s Work ........285 vii Discussion of key idea: The connectedness of the created world ............................................................................................285 Discussion of key idea: Human beings have choices ..................289 Discussion of key idea: The Great Economy ...............................292 The Educational Concern Relates to Themes in Berry’s Fiction ..........300 Changing