The Dialectics of the Blueberry Muffin: Towards a Philosophy of Love
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THE DIALECTICS OF THE BLUEBERRY MUFFIN: TOWARDS A PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE by Nosakhere Abubaker Jumanne Griffin-EL Lincoln University, History, 2005 University of Pittsburgh, School Leadership, 2008 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2011 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF EDUCATION This dissertation was presented by Nosakhere Abubaker Jumanne Griffin-EL It was defended on June 15, 2011 and approved by Jerome Taylor, Associate Professor, Africana Studies Sean Hughes, Associate Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies Stewart Sutin, Clinical Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies James Jacob, Assistant Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies Dissertation Advisor: Michael Gunzenhauser, Associate Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies ii Copyright © by Nosakhere Abubaker Jumanne Griffin-EL 2011 iii THE DIALECTICS OF THE BLUEBERRY MUFFIN: TOWARDS A PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE Nosakhere Griffin-EL M.Ed., Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh, 2011 This dissertation study was a process where I purposed my life in the personal, educational, and societal contexts within three periods in my life: high school, college, and graduate school. My conceptual framework draws on the writings of Paulo Freire and Martin Luther King Jr., bell hooks, Cornel West, and Maulana Karenga because their works seek to understand contradictions that limit human beings from living up to their human potential. Although their works are similar, they have different foci. Freire and Karenga‘s writings are driven by a humanist desire to human transformation, while King‘s, hooks‘, and West‘s works are rooted in a theological foundation for individual transformation. All of the scholars embed love within their writings, which they declare is essential to individuals working to assist in the development of a better world. For my methodology, I use autobiographical writing, which allowed me to reflect on my personal, educational, and societal contradiction within three periods in my life: high school, college, and graduate school. Upon reflecting on my life, I analyzed it using my conceptual framework. The result of my dissertation project was the creation of a philosophical framework I call Transconceptualization. This framework seeks to understand the self in the past and present in order to move beyond contradictions to live a new life in the present and future. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ................................................................................................................................... XV 1.0 INTRODUCTION: DIALECTICS OF THE BLUEBERRY MUFFIN .................. 1 1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................................................. 3 1.1.1 Thesis .............................................................................................................. 3 1.1.2 Research Questions:...................................................................................... 4 1.1.3 Methodology .................................................................................................. 4 1.1.4 Theoretical Perspective ................................................................................ 5 1.1.5 Significance .................................................................................................... 5 1.2 STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION ....................................................... 6 2.0 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................................... 9 2.1 SOCIETAL ........................................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Dehumanization .......................................................................................... 10 2.1.2 Humanization .............................................................................................. 12 2.2 THE PERSONAL .............................................................................................. 14 2.2.1 Fatalism ........................................................................................................ 14 2.2.2 Prescribed-Praxis ........................................................................................ 16 2.3 HOPE .................................................................................................................. 17 2.3.1 Praxis ............................................................................................................ 17 v 2.3.2 Speech........................................................................................................... 18 2.4 EDUCATIONAL ............................................................................................... 20 2.4.1 Banking Method of Education ................................................................... 21 2.4.2 Problem Posing Education ......................................................................... 23 2.5 CONNECTING THE THEMES ...................................................................... 25 2.5.1 Dehumanization and Humanization ......................................................... 25 2.5.2 Fatalism and Hope ...................................................................................... 26 2.5.3 Prescribed-Praxis and Praxis..................................................................... 27 2.5.4 Banking Method of Education or Problem Posing Education................ 27 2.6 SYNTHESIS ....................................................................................................... 28 2.7 LOVE AS THE CENTER OF LIFE ................................................................ 31 2.7.1 Love .............................................................................................................. 32 2.7.2 Defining Love .............................................................................................. 32 2.7.3 Fatalistic Love ............................................................................................. 33 2.7.4 Transformative Love .................................................................................. 37 2.7.5 Individualized Love .................................................................................... 39 3.0 METHODOLOGY: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WRITING AS METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 42 3.1 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WRITING: DIARY, JOURNAL, AND MEMOIR WRITING ........................................................................................................................... 43 3.2 THE PURPOSE OF TRADITIONAL AUTOBIOGRAPHIES .................... 44 vi 3.3 PURPOSING OPPRESSED PEOPLE’S AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL TRADITION: THE USE OF INDIVIDUAL VOICE FOR COLLECTIVE STRUGGLE ........................................................................................................ 47 3.4 OPPRESSED PEOPLE’S VOICE IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WRITING................................................................ 48 3.5 SUMMARY OF WEMAT AND OPAT ........................................................... 50 3.6 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WRITING AS METHODOLOGY ...................... 51 3.6.1 Chronological Order ................................................................................... 51 3.6.2 Theme ........................................................................................................... 52 3.6.3 Autobiographical Pact ................................................................................ 53 3.7 USING THE METHODOLOGY ..................................................................... 54 3.7.1 The Self as Individual and Collective ........................................................ 54 3.7.2 Presentation of Stories ................................................................................ 55 3.7.3 Using Theory and Metaphor as Themes that Frame Stories .................. 55 3.7.4 I am who I say I am..................................................................................... 56 3.7.5 Using Diaries, Journals, Pictures, Videos, and Published Documents as Stimuli for Reflections ................................................................................ 57 3.7.6 Quality Study ............................................................................................... 57 3.7.7 Triangulation ............................................................................................... 58 3.7.8 Critical Reflectivity ..................................................................................... 59 3.7.9 Positionality ................................................................................................. 61 3.7.10 Thick Description ........................................................................................ 62 3.7.11 Concluding Thoughts on Autobiographical Methodology ...................... 63 vii 3.7.12 Strengths and Limitation of Methodology ................................................ 63 3.8 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 64 4.0 HIGH SCHOOL ......................................................................................................... 65 4.1 FROM THE FIELD OF DREAMS TO HOOD DREAMS ........................... 65 4.2 HURT ALL OVER (HAO) ............................................................................... 68 4.3 KNUCKLIN