Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Summer 2016 The Posthuman Curriculum and the Teacher John P. Cook Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Part of the Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons Recommended Citation Cook, John P., "The Posthuman Curriculum and the Teacher" (2016). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1430. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1430 This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 THE POSTHUMAN CURRICULUM AND THE TEACHER by JOHN COOK (Under the Direction of John Weaver) ABSTRACT The intent of this document is to explore education through a posthumanist lens. More specifically, elements of posthumanism will be used to better understand today’s teachers, to provide several overarching educational goals and curricular imperatives, and to inform pedagogical practice. Several posthumanist themes in particular will serve to unify this rather broad consideration of education at varying levels. One such theme is that of blurring boundaries, calling into question distinctions that have been the source of declines in the health of our bodies, our species, and the life systems of which we are constitutive parts. Distinctions too often lead to hierarchies, and hence to exploitation. The humanist distinction between man and nature has for example bolstered the idea that man should rightfully rule nature, as well as justified oppression and enslavement of the “less human” or “savage”. Another unifying posthumanist theme is that of impermanence or flux. What it means to be human changes as our environment and our technologies change. The roles of teacher and learner are frequently changing and we are always some measure of each, more of one 2 and less of the other depending on the environment and circumstance. A final posthumanist theme that permeates this text is that of decentering the human. Posthumanism is in part a rejection of anthropocentrism, and this rejection informs much of the following considerations of teachers, curricula, pedagogy, and education. INDEX WORDS: Curriculum, Education, Posthuman, Posthumanism, Humanism, Pedagogy, Ecopedagogy, Culture, Media, Technology 3 THE POSTHUMAN CURRICULUM AND THE TEACHER by JOHN COOK B.A., Armstrong Atlantic State University, 2005 M. A. T., Georgia Southern University, 2011 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Filfillmen of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF EDUCATION STATESBORO, GEORGIA 4 © 2016 JOHN COOK All Rights Reserved 5 THE POSTHUMAN CURRICULUM AND THE TEACHER by JOHN COOK Major Professor: John Weaver Committee: Julie Garlen Sabrina Ross James Gee Electronic Version Approved: Summer 2016 6 DEDICATION For my lovely wife Kirstin, who’s love, patience and care made this work possible, and who directly inspired many of the ideas in it. 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to my wonderful cohort and especially Kristen Denney, Mimi Vaquer, Anna Waddell, and Dana McCullough. Your cameraderie kept me going! Also, a heartfelt thank you to the many professors who’s guidance was indespensable, including my dissertation committee listed above, but also Ming Fang He, William Schubert, Marla Morris, Paul Eaton and Daniel Chapman. Finally I thank my family for their unwavering support: Myrna Coffee, Deborah Zodun, Lee Cook, Sarah Cook, and Ben Cook. I am indebted to you all. 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................7 CHAPTER 1 WE ARE POSTHUMAN .................................................................................. 10 Introduction .............................................................................................. 10 What’s In A Name? .................................................................................. 17 Technology’s One-Way Conversation .. .................................................. 19 Animality and the Oppressed … .............................................................. 22 Cells ........................................................................................................ 23 Machines ................................................................................................. 25 Consciousness ........................................................................................ 27 Computers ............................................................................................... 30 Humanism, Christianity, and Posthumanism ........................................... 32 An Articulation of Posthumanism ............................................................. 37 Embodiment ............................................................................................ 42 Technocracy ............................................................................................ 46 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................... 49 2 THE POSTHUMAN TEACHER ....................................................................... 51 Cyborg Teachers ..................................................................................... 52 A Legacy of Humanism in the Teaching Profession ................................ 61 Teacher Embodiment and Animality ........................................................ 63 Bad Freedoms ......................................................................................... 66 Zombie Teachers..................................................................................... 68 A Cybernetic View of the Teacher ........................................................... 70 Posthuman Teachers Outside of the Classroom ..................................... 76 Conclusions ............................................................................................. 80 9 3 AIMS OF A POSTHUMAN EDUCATION ........................................................ 81 Dewey Re-grounded Philosophy ............................................................. 83 Dewey, Distinctions and Synthesis .......................................................... 85 Dewey, Freedom and Technology ........................................................... 87 Areas of Discord Between Dewey and Posthumanism ............................ 91 Technology’s Blinders ............................................................................. 94 Tikopia and the Need to Act Unnaturally In Unnatural Environments ...... 95 Proposed Primary Goals of a Posthuman Education............................... 106 From Aims to Curricula ............................................................................ 113 4 FOUR CURRICULAR IMPERATIVES............................................................. 114 Curricula Today ....................................................................................... 116 Critical Media Literacy ............................................................................. 119 Critical Cultural Studies ........................................................................... 130 Embodiment ............................................................................................ 137 Ecoliteracy ............................................................................................... 148 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 155 5 BARYCENTRIC PEDAGOGY ......................................................................... 158 Review ................................................................................................... 159 Present Trends ...................................................................................... 160 Barycentric Pedagogy ........................................................................... 164 Barycentric Pedagogies In Full Fruition ................................................... 174 Danger: Barycentric Pedagogy Is An Engine, But Doesn’t Point the Way ......................................................................................................... 180 Danger: Bubbles ...................................................................................... 181 Difficulty: Hard To Get Going ................................................................... 186 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 190 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 196 10 CHAPTER 1 WE ARE POSTHUMAN Introduction The following pages will serve as an exploration of the intersection of the posthuman, curriculum theory, and the teaching profession. What sort of curriculum should be prescribed for posthumans? What does it mean to teach a posthuman, and how should one go about it? -These questions will drive my inquiry. The primary goals of this work will be to make the case for and sketch out the foundations of a posthuman curriculum and pedagogy. I intend to begin this dissertation by exploring an iteration of posthumanism, endeavoring both