DOCSLIB.ORG

A Genealogical Study of 'The Child' As the Subject of Pre-Compulsory Education in Western Australia by Zsuzsa Millei This Th

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Genealogical Study of 'The Child' As the Subject of Pre-Compulsory Education in Western Australia by Zsuzsa Millei This Th A genealogical study of ‘the child’ as the subject of pre-compulsory education in Western Australia by Zsuzsa Millei This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Murdoch University Year of Submission: 2007 DECLARATION I declare that this thesis is my own account of my research and contains as its main content work which has not previously been submitted for a degree at any tertiary education institution. ………….……………… Zsuzsa Millei ii ABSTRACT The study produces a genealogy of ‘the child’ as the shifting subject constituted by the confluence of discourses that are utilized by, and surround, Western Australian pre- compulsory education. The analysis is approached as a genealogy of governmentality building on the work of Foucault and Rose, which enables the consideration of the research question that guides this study: How has ‘the child’ come to be constituted as a subject of regimes of practices of pre-compulsory education in Western Australia? This study does not explore how the historical discourses changed in relation to ‘the child’ as a universal subject of early education, but it examines the multiple ways ‘the child’ was constituted by these discourses as the subject at which government is to be aimed, and whose characteristics government must harness and instrumentalize. Besides addressing the research question, the study also develops a set of intertwining arguments. In these the author contends that ‘the child’ is invented through historically contingent ideas about the individual and that the way in which ‘the child’ is constituted in pre-compulsory education shifts in concert with the changing problematizations about the government of the population and individuals. Further, the study demonstrates the necessity to understand the provision of pre-compulsory education as a political practice. Looking at pre-compulsory education as a political practice de-stabilizes the taken- for-granted constitutions of ‘the child’ embedded in present theories, practices and research with children in the field of early childhood education. It also enables the de- and reconstruction of the notions of children’s ‘participation’, ‘empowerment’ and ‘citizenship’. The continuous de- and reconstruction of these notions and the de- iii stabilization of the constitutions of ‘the child’ creates a framework in which improvement is possible, rather than “a utopian, wholesale and, thus revolutionary, transformation” in early education (Branson & Miller, 1991, p. 187). This study also contributes to the critiques of classroom discipline approaches by reconceptualizing them as technologies of government in order to reveal the power relations they silently wield. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ________________________________________________________ ii Abstract __________________________________________________________ iii Table of contents____________________________________________________ v Acknowledgement__________________________________________________ xi Foreword _________________________________________________________ xii PART ONE Introduction - Chapter One ______________________________________________ 1 1. Constitutions of ‘the child’_______________________________________________ 1 2. Contemporary constitutions of ‘the child’ ___________________________________ 5 3. Research question______________________________________________________ 9 4. Outline of chapters ____________________________________________________ 10 Governmentality - Chapter Two _________________________________________ 15 1. Introduction _________________________________________________________ 15 2. Governmentality and the new ways of governing ____________________________ 16 3. Government, power and the subject _______________________________________ 21 3.1. The subject ________________________________________________________ 28 4. Rationalities and technologies of government _______________________________ 30 5. Modes of governing individuals and the subject _____________________________ 32 5.1. ‘Early’ liberalism____________________________________________________ 34 5.2. ‘Social’ liberalism ___________________________________________________ 36 5.3. ‘Neo-liberalism’ and ‘advanced’ liberalism _______________________________ 39 6. The Study of governmentality ___________________________________________ 50 6.1. Methodological considerations _________________________________________ 52 6.2. Methodology _______________________________________________________ 54 1. Introduction _________________________________________________________ 59 v 2. Methodological and structural considerations _______________________________ 61 PART TWO A genealogy of ‘the child’: the emergence of individualized pedagogy - Chapter three ____________________________________________________________________65 1. Introduction__________________________________________________________ 65 2. The institutionalisation and regulation of ‘the child’ __________________________ 66 3.1. The emergence of individualized pedagogy – envisioning ‘the child’____________ 70 3.1.1. The question of growth and the ‘nature’ of ‘the child’ ______________________ 72 3.1.2. Setting up the framework for child growth _______________________________ 74 3.1.3. The ‘envisioned citizen’ encompassing progress __________________________ 76 3.1.4. Mapping the ‘natural’ child’s development ______________________________ 78 3.1.5. The nature of ‘the child’ _____________________________________________ 80 3.2. Individualized pedagogy – the great pedagogues ___________________________ 82 3.2.1. Froebel’s pedagogy_________________________________________________ 83 3.2.2. Montessori’s pedagogy ______________________________________________ 87 3.2.3. The ideas of McMillan and Isaacs _____________________________________ 89 3.3. Individual pedagogy – teacher training ___________________________________ 91 A genealogy of ‘the child’: Child-centred and interactive pedagogy - Chapter Four 93 1. Introduction__________________________________________________________ 93 2.1. Child-centred pedagogy – the conceptual framework ________________________ 94 2.1.1. ‘The child’ as a rational developer of its scientific competencies______________ 95 2.1.2. ‘The child’ and the social ____________________________________________ 98 2.2. Child-centred pedagogy - practice ______________________________________ 101 3.1. Interactive pedagogy ________________________________________________ 104 3.1.1. The flexible, response-ready, enterprising child __________________________ 107 3.1.2. The self-constructing and active child _________________________________ 110 4. Summary___________________________________________________________ 114 vi Regimes of practice: classroom discipline approaches and ‘the child’ - Chapter Five ___________________________________________________________________ 117 1. Introduction ________________________________________________________ 117 2. Government through discipline approaches ________________________________ 119 3. The emergence of modern discipline approaches____________________________ 124 3.1. Rationales of discipline ______________________________________________ 128 4. Classroom management approaches and ways of governing individuals__________ 130 4.1. Interventionist approaches____________________________________________ 131 4.2. Interactive approaches_______________________________________________ 134 4.3. Non-interventionist approaches________________________________________ 138 5. Discipline approaches in early childhood and constitutions of ‘the child’_________ 144 5.1. ‘The child’ as a subject of government __________________________________ 148 5.2. Governing ‘the child’ through social competence__________________________ 150 5.3. Governing ‘the child’ through ethics____________________________________ 152 5.4. Governing the ‘active’ and ‘free’ child __________________________________ 154 6. Summary __________________________________________________________ 156 PART THREE 1. Introduction ________________________________________________________ 159 Genealogies of governmentality in Western Australian pre-compulsory education (1870s – 1980s) and ‘the child’ - Chapter Six______________________________ 165 1. 1870s until the end of WWII.___________________________________________ 165 1.1. The birth of the nation and citizenry ____________________________________ 166 1.2. Technologies of nation building _______________________________________ 171 1.2.1. The creation of the education system in Australia ________________________ 171 1.2.2. Child minding and kindergartens to serve the national interest ______________ 173 1.2.3. Child welfare legislations___________________________________________ 177 2. From the post-war period until the 1970s__________________________________ 180 2.1. Governmental rationality and the discursive field__________________________ 181 2.1.1. Equality of opportunity ____________________________________________ 184 vii 2.1.2. Human Capital Theory _____________________________________________ 189 2.2. Discourses of education and care_______________________________________ 192 2.3. Difference and educational policy ______________________________________ 196 3. Conclusion _________________________________________________________ 199 Constitutions of ‘the child’ from the 1870s – 1980s - Chapter Seven____________201 1. Introduction_________________________________________________________ 201 2. Changing times – from 1870s until the late 1930s ___________________________
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Annual Report
    Contents | Previous | Next Political Finance Annual Report Report on the operation of Part VI of the Electoral Act 1907 for the period ended 30 June 2018 Western Australian Electoral Commission / 2017–2018 Political Finance ANNUAL REPORT i Contents | Previous | Next Contents Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................1 Summary of disclosures and public funding through the 2017–2018 financial year...................................................2 1. Financial disclosures .......................................................................................................................................................2 1.1 Annual returns by political parties and associated entities ....................................................................................2 1.2 2018 Cottesloe by–election ....................................................................................................................................2 1.3 2018 Darling Range by–election .............................................................................................................................2 1.3 Part VI disclosures .................................................................................................................................................3 2. Public funding .................................................................................................................................................................3
    [Show full text]
  • Women Mps in the Parliament of Western Australia: Firsts February 2017
    PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA History Notes: Women MPs in the Parliament of Western Australia: Firsts February 2017. Updated 23 June 2021 Women MPs in the Parliament of Western Australia: Firsts Edith Cowan: First Woman MP Edith Cowan was the first woman parliamentarian in Australia. She was also the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. Cowan was elected on 12 March 1921 to represent the West Perth electorate as a Nationalist. The historical moment is only fleetingly mentioned in the opening of parliament article in the West Australian, 28 July 1921: “Not a little interest attaches to the opening of Parliament today is that a woman member for the first time in the history of Australian legislature, will take a seat.” Cowan was also one of the first women to be elected “I should remind hon. to a British parliament. She members that one of the recontested her West Perth seat at the election on 22 March 1924 but reasons why women and she was unsuccessful. She also men also considered it contested the seat at the 26 March 1927 election. advisable to do so, was because it was felt that men Edith Dircksey Cowan was born on 2 need a reminder sometimes August 1861 at Glengarry, near Geraldton in Western Australia. She from women beside them was born to pastoralist, Kenneth that will make them realise Brown and Mary Wittenoom, a teacher. Their family was “well- all that can be done for the connected, pious, and conservative”. race and for the home.” She was educated at Misses Cowan’s school in Perth and later Canon Mrs Cowan Sweeting’s school in Guildford.
    [Show full text]
  • Donor to Political Party and Political Campaigner Return Form
    Donor to Political Party and Political Campaigner Disclosure Return – Organisations FINANCIAL YEAR 2019-20 Section 305B(1) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act) requires donors to furnish a return within 20 weeks after the end of the financial year. The due date for lodging this return is 17 November 2020. Completing the Return: • This return is to be completed by organisations who made a donation to a registered political party (or a State branch), political campaigner, or to another person or organisation with the intention of benefiting a registered political party or political campaigner. • This return is to be completed with reference to the Financial Disclosure Guide for Donors to Political Parties and Political Campaigners. • This return will be available for public inspection from Monday 1 February 2021 at www.aec.gov.au. • Any supporting documentation included with this return may be treated as part of a public disclosure and displayed on the AEC website. • The information on this return is collected under s305B of the Electoral Act. NOTE: This form is for the use of organisations only. Please use the form Donor to Political Party and Political Campaigner Disclosure Return – Individuals if you are completing a return for an individual. Details of organisation that made the donation Name Address Suburb/Town State Postcode ABN ACN Details of person completing this return Name Capacity or position (e.g. company secretary) Postal address Suburb/Town State Postcode Telephone number ( ) Fax number ( ) Email address Certification I certify that the information contained in this return and its attachments is true and complete to the best of my knowledge, information and belief.
    [Show full text]
  • A Big Australia: Why It May All Be Over
    The Australian Population Research Institute, Research Report, October 2020 A Big Australia: why it may all be over Drawing on the November 2019 TAPRI survey Katharine Betts and Bob Birrell Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i Non-graduates swing right and graduates swing left ............................................................ i The vulnerability of a Big Australia ..................................................................................... ii The post-Covid situation ...................................................................................................... iii Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 The survey findings .................................................................................................................. 3 Most voters do not think Australia needs more people ......................................................... 3 Half of the Australian electorate think immigration is too high ........................................... 4 Most voters don’t agree with elite justifications for high immigration ................................ 5 Do accusations of racism deter voters from expressing dissenting views on ethnic diversity? ............................................................................................................................... 8 Conclusions about electoral support
    [Show full text]
  • Statewide Information
    Statewide Information 2021 State Election Timeline....................................................................... 2 Registered Political Parties in Western Australia.......................................... 3 Returning Officers, Areas, Enrolments and Polling Place Numbers................ 4 Summary of Electors as at Close of Roll – 11 February 2021........................ 6 Enrolment Numbers and Turnout ................................................................ 8 Voter Participation ...................................................................................... 9 1 2021 State General Election Results and Statistics Report 2021 State General Election Timetable WED ISSUE OF WRITS FEB 3 THU Nominations & Applications for 4 Postal Vote (by post) Open THU THU 11 ROLL CLOSE 11 Party Nominations Close (12 noon) FRI CLOSE OF NOMINATIONS 12 noon & Draw for Ballot MON 12 Paper positions 15 Voting Tickets Lodged by 12 noon MON 22 Postal Voting Commences WED Early Voting (in person & technology 24 assisted) Commences SAT 27 Mobile Polling Commences MAR WED Scrutiny of Early Votes may commence (8 am) 10 Close of Written Applications for a postal vote (6 pm) FRI 12 Close of Issue of Early Votes (in person) (6 pm) SAT POLLING DAY – (8 am to 6 pm) THU 13 Second Saturday in March 18 Close for Receipt of Postal Votes (9 am) APRIL FRI 16 RETURN OF WRITS 2 2021 State General Election Results and Statistics Report Registered Political Parties in Western Australia Registered Political Parties in Western Australia The followingThe following table table shows shows the names the names and abbreviations and abbreviations of the ofregistered the registered political political parties that partiesnominated that candidates nominated in candidates the 2021 State in the General 2021 State Election. General In 2021 Election. there wereIn 2021 nineteen there registeredwere nineteenpolitical partiesregistered compared political with parties sixteen compared in 2017 withState sixteen General in Election.
    [Show full text]
  • Legislative Council
    Legislative Council Candidates.........................................................................................................1 Elected Member of Parliament............................................................................8 Types of Votes by District....................................................................................9 Types of Votes by Region – Metropolitan ..........................................................10 Types of Votes by Region – Country...................................................................12 Ticket Vote Preferences – Metropolitan Regions................................................13 Ticket Vote Preferences – Country Regions .......................................................14 Informal Voting Summary..................................................................................15 Informal Summary – Metropolitan....................................................................16 Informal Summary – Country ...........................................................................17 State General Elections: Comparative Summary 2001 to 2021 ..........................18 First Preference Votes: Comparative Summary 2001 to 2021.............................19 Types of Votes: Comparative Summary 2001 to 2021........................................20 Types of Votes and Turnout: Comparative Summary 2001 to 2021 ....................21 Number of Group Quotas Achieved on First Preferences Metropolitan Region ..22 Number of Group Quotas Achieved on First Preferences Country
    [Show full text]
  • 2021 State General Election Report
    2021 State General Election ELECTION REPORT elections.wa.gov.au Contents Foreword 2 Telephone Assisted Voting/Vote Assist 22 Telephone Assisted Voting (TAV) 22 2021 WA State election at a glance 3 Vote Assist (VA) 22 2021 State General Election Timetable 4 Legislative Council Count 22 Electoral Environment 5 Results 23 Electoral Boundaries 5 Centralised Results Reporting 23 Legislative Changes 5 Election Night Results Transmission 23 Participation 6 Results Website 23 Enrolment 6 Legislative Assembly 24 Party Registration 7 Total Votes Counted 25 Election Planning 8 Ballot Paper Formality 25 Project Management Methodology 8 Legislative Council 26 COVID-19 Pandemic Management 8 Post Election Procedures 27 Recruitment and training 9 Return of the Writ 27 Systems development 9 Apparent Non-Voters and Polling Place/ Early Voting Centre Multiple Voters 27 Allocation 10 Political Finance 27 Elector and Candidate Services 11 Agents 27 Strategy and Service Commitments 11 Election-related disclosure 28 Elector Voting Options 11 Annual disclosure 28 Other Elector Services 11 Public funding 28 Electors with a Disability 11 Resource Allocation 28 Services to CALD Electors 12 Performance Review 29 Services to Indigenous Electors 12 Key Performance Indicators 29 Call Centre 13 Election Preparations 29 Communications 14 Election Conduct 30 Advertising 14 Election Outcomes 30 Email and SMS Elector 16 Post-Election Review 31 Political and Candidate Liaison 16 Future priorities 32 Media Liaison 16 A New Electoral Act 32 A Pivot to an Election Period 32 The Election 17 Nominations 17 Political Party Representation 18 Legislative Council Voting Tickets 19 Voting 19 Ballot Paper Production 19 Early Voting in Person 20 Mobile Polling 21 Postal Voting 21 1 2021 State General Election Election Report Foreword Given the peculiarities of the past 18 months it Pushed by the Commission’s COVID-safe election is pleasing that the 2021 State General Election strategy electors embraced early voting in person was conducted with minimal disruption or with an increase of 160% from 2017.
    [Show full text]
  • Legislative Assembly
    Legislative Assembly Candidates ...........................................................................................................2 Two-Candidate Preferred Result ...........................................................................15 Elected Members of Parliament ...........................................................................18 Statewide Margins by District – 2021 ...................................................................21 Final Distribution of Preferences Summary............................................................23 First Preference Votes...........................................................................................24 Types of Votes by District .....................................................................................25 Types of Votes by Region – Metropolitan...............................................................26 Types of Votes by Region – Country ......................................................................28 Informal Voting Summary ....................................................................................29 Informal Survey – Metropolitan............................................................................32 Informal Survey – Country....................................................................................33 State General Elections: Comparative Summary 2001 to 2021..............................34 First Preference Votes: Comparative Summary 2001 to 2021 ................................35 Types of Votes: Comparative Summary
    [Show full text]
  • Donor to Political Party and Political Campaigner Return Form
    Donor to Political Party and Political Campaigner Disclosure Return – Organisations FINANCIAL YEAR 2020-21 Section 305B(1) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act) requires donors to furnish a return within 20 weeks after the end of the financial year. The due date for lodging this return is 17 November 2021. Completing the Return: This return is to be completed by organisations who made a donation to a registered political party (or a State branch), political campaigner, or to another person or organisation with the intention of benefiting a registered political party or political campaigner. This return is to be completed with reference to the Financial Disclosure Guide for Donors to Political Parties and Political Campaigners. This return will be available for public inspection from Tuesday 1 February 2022 at www.aec.gov.au. Any supporting documentation included with this return may be treated as part of a public disclosure and displayed on the AEC website. The information on this return is collected under s 305B of the Electoral Act. NOTE: This form is for the use of organisations only. Please use the form Donor to Political Party and Political Campaigner Disclosure Return – Individuals if you are completing a return for an individual. Details of organisation that made the donation Name Address Suburb/Town State Postcode ABN ACN Details of person completing this return Name Capacity or position (e.g. company Postalsecretary) address Suburb/Town State Postcode Telephone number ( ) Fax number ( ) Email address Certification I certify that the information contained in this return and its attachments is true and complete to the best of my knowledge, information and belief.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Australian Electoral Reform: Legislative Council 2021
    Western Australian Electoral Reform: Legislative Council 2021 Personal Submission to the Ministerial Expert Committee About this Submission This submission seeks to address the terms of reference as the Ministerial Expert Committee (“the Committee”) and the further four questions posed by the Committee in a supplementary discussion paper. All views expressed in this document are my own. Summary The current model of the Legislative Council does provide electoral equality – which I have defined as the right to a vote for a representative in Parliament, based on a geographical area, who is elected by a fair and robust voting system. The current model of six seats with six members each should continue as this model considers equity and equality when providing representation for constituents. However, improvements could be made to better reflect demographics across the State and public funding could be the leverage to achieve this. Group ticket voting should be abolished and the Committee should consider whether utilising a Robson Rotation method would ensure better engagement from Members of Parliament with their constituency. Background and Context Western Australia is a jurisdiction of approximately 2.5 million square kilometres. Originally a colony of the British Empire, it adopted a bicameral and Westminster style of Parliament when it became a State. The two houses of Parliament are referred to as the Legislative Assembly (LA), where Government is formed over 59 seats, and the Legislative Council or House of Review which consists of 36 seats over 6 regions. Western Australia’s parliament is well renowned for being democratically sound, with structural reforms to the parliament every 20 years or so.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics After Financial Crises, 1870-2014
    Freie Universit¨atBerlin Graduate School of North American Studies Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors/einer Doktorin der Wirtschaftswissenschaft des Fachbereichs Wirtschaftswissenschaft der Freien Universit¨atBerlin Financial Crises: Political and Social Implications vorgelegt von Manuel Funke, M.A. aus M¨unster Berlin, November 2016 Erstgutachter: Prof. Irwin Collier, Ph.D. Freie Universit¨atBerlin John-F.-Kennedy-Institut Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Moritz Schularick Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universit¨atBonn Institut f¨urMakro¨okonomik und Okonometrie¨ Tag der Disputation: 25. Juli 2017 Koautorenschaften und Publikationen Das zweite Kapitel dieser Dissertation (“Going to extremes: Politics after financial crises, 1870-2014”) wurde zusammen mit Prof. Dr. Moritz Schularick von der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universit¨at Bonn und Prof. Dr. Christoph Trebesch von der Ludwig-Maximilians- Universit¨atM¨unchen verfasst. Dieses Kapitel wurde zudem im Jahre 2015 zweimal in Form eines Working Papers und im Jahre 2016 schlussendlich als Journal-Artikel ver¨offentlicht. Die offiziellen Literaturangaben zu diesen insgesamt drei Publikationen lauten wie folgt: • Manuel Funke, Moritz Schularick, Christoph Trebesch. 2015. Going to Extremes: Politics after Financial Crises, 1870-2014. CEPR Discussion Paper No. 10884. • Manuel Funke, Moritz Schularick, Christoph Trebesch. 2015. Going to Extremes: Politics after Financial Crises, 1870-2014. CESifo Working Paper No. 5553. • Funke, Manuel, Moritz Schularick, Christoph Trebesch. 2016. Going to extremes: Politics after financial crises, 1870-2014. European Economic Review 88: 227-260. Es sei erw¨ahnt, dass Kapitel Nr. 2 im Wesentlichen der im Journal European Economic Review ver¨offentlichten Version aus dem Jahre 2016 entspricht, wobei geringf¨ugigekontextabh¨angige Anderungen¨ vor- behalten sind. Die ¨ubrigenKapitel dieser Arbeit (Nr.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Australia Party Policies
    Western Australia Party Policies Hodge literalising dern? Sometimes undeviating Mordecai converts her Hardecanute painfully, but far-sighted Jo stuntedness!blaze nauseatingly or divagating conspiratorially. Wingless and unfastened Tommie never poetizes his Political scandals and policy inertia growing numbers have turned away. To an outbreak amid high levels of contract tracing and compliance with COVID-19 rules. The politics of Australia has a disgrace two-party system nearly two dominant political groupings in the Australian political system the Australian Labor Party create the LiberalNational Coalition. Federal elections Ethnic Communities Council of WA. Julie Matheson Western Australia Party Home Facebook. Political Advertising Guide wwwpdcwagov. WA Museum Privacy Western Australian Museum. Western Australia is also necessary party indicate the Intergovernmental Agreement on. Western Australia spent two of 2020 separated from them rest beneath the. Western Australia Party. Coronavirus Australia live news Western Australia could lift. Western Australia's Mount Augustus is twice the size of Uluru Although at one third bottle Mount Augustus is up above the surface outside the earth stretching to a massive km in length this poison the world's largest rock. COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines Perth Western. REBUILDING OUR ECONOMY SECURING YOUR FUTURE also have both felt more step of my within than I had today still have confronted the greatest. As a ministerial policy adviser State director of both party under chief of. Entary on international politics on ABC regional radio in Western Australia. Cookies must be required to be modified and western australia and present and even more use, criminal law governing powers and vigorous.
    [Show full text]