Cutting Through Water Towards a Posthuman Theory of Educational Relationality Ceder, Simon 2016 Document Version: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Ceder, S. (2016). Cutting Through Water: Towards a Posthuman Theory of Educational Relationality. Lund University. 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LUND UNIVERSITY PO Box 117 221 00 Lund +46 46-222 00 00 Printed by Media-Tryck, Lund University 2015 CEDER SIMON CuttingWater Through Cutting Through Water Towards a Posthuman Theory of Educational Relationality Towards a Posthuman a Theory of Educational Towards Relationality SIMON CEDER DIVISION FOR EDUCATION | LUND UNIVERSITY 2015 Cutting Through Water How can educational relations be understood differently? This the- sis uses a posthuman approach that considers the world as being in constant relational movement and that ascribes agency relationally to humans or nonhumans alike. From this position, the theory of “edu- cational relationality” is introduced and developed as a contribution to the field of philosophy of education. The thesis uses examples such as technology, dogs, and memory stories as parts of its philosophical investigation. Simon Ceder is a researcher at the Division for Education, Lund Uni- versity. His research interest are educational theory and posthuman philosophy. He has a background as a highschool teacher in Swedish and biology. Cutting Through Water is his doctoral thesis. LUND UNIVERSITY 236048 Faculty of Social Sciences Division for Education ISBN 978-91-7623-604-8 789176 9 Cutting Through Water Towards a Posthuman Theory of Educational Relationality Simon Ceder DOCTORAL DISSERTATION by due permission of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Lund University, Sweden. To be defended at Palaestra, Lund, on February 5th, 2016, at 1:15 pm. Faculty opponent Prof. Sharon Todd, Maynooth University, Ireland 1 LUND UNIVERSITY Document name Department of Sociology, Division for Education Date of issue 2015-12-07 Author(s) Simon Ceder Sponsoring organization Title and subtitle Cutting Through Water: Towards a Posthuman Theory of Educational Relationality Abstract Based on an ongoing debate—academic as well as public—regarding the roles of the teacher and the student in education, this thesis explores educational relations within the field of philosophy of education. After critically examining intersubjective approaches to theories of educational relations, I localize anthropocentrism and subject-centrism (teacher/student) as two problematic aspects of the aforementioned approaches. These aspects are deeply connected with various humanistic ideas. Instead, I turn to posthuman philosophy and more specifically, I propose post-anthropocentrism and intra-relationality as a theoretical framework. Diffraction is hereby suggested as an appropriate posthuman methodology that reads texts and memory stories relationally in order to develop new ideas. The theory and methodology used are mainly inspired by posthuman feminist philosophers Karen Barad and Donna Haraway. The main contribution of the thesis is introducing and developing a posthuman theory of educational relations, which is called educational relationality. The main analysis is executed through a diffractive reading of intersubjective theories on educational relations and posthuman philosophy, resulting in five co-concepts. The first co-concept developed is impermanence, which means that educational relationality and the world are constantly in movement. Uniqueness-as-relationality proposes that uniqueness appears relationally, rather than connected to a single human subject. Proximity describes the closeness of relationality, which is ethical, material, and sensible. Edu-activity is where education is located according to educational relationality. Finally, intelligibility is suggested as a posthuman approach to learning. The co-concepts conceptualize the theory of educational relationality. I ground these concepts with two educational examples, literacy dogs and augmented reality technology, which are read through the co-concepts and additional posthuman philosophy. The analysis provided through these examples demonstrates the potential of using the proposed theory and its co-concepts in everyday practices, even when nonhumans are a part of the educational relation. Key words: diffraction, educational relationality, humanism, intra-relationality, posthumanism, Classification system and/or index terms (if any) Supplementary bibliographical information Language English ISSN and key title ISBN 978-91-7623-604-8 Recipient’s notes Number of pages 232 Price Security classification I, the undersigned, being the copyright owner of the abstract of the above-mentioned dissertation, hereby grant to all reference sources permission to publish and disseminate the abstract of the above-mentioned dissertation. Signature Date 2 Cutting Through Water Towards a Posthuman Theory of Educational Relationality Simon Ceder 3 Copyright Simon Ceder Faculty of Social Sciences | Department of Sociology Division for Education ISBN 978-91-7623-604-8 (Print), ISBN 978-91-7623-605-5 (Pdf) Printed in Sweden by Media-Tryck, Lund University Lund 2015 4 To Abdi 5 Contents Acknowledgements 9 PART I: Beginnings 11 CHAPTER 1. Towards a Theory of Educational Relations 13 Introducing the field 13 Aim and research questions 21 Structure of the thesis 23 Research on educational relations 25 Research on posthumanism and education 33 CHAPTER 2. Haunting Humanism 37 Humanism as a placeholder 39 The rational educable subject 42 Birds, brutes, and human superiority 49 CHAPTER 3. Framing Posthumanism 53 Theoretical beginnings 53 Post-anthropocentrism 57 Intra-relationality 62 CHAPTER 4. Creating Diffractive Patterns 69 Methodological beginnings 69 Introducing diffraction 74 Texts, memory stories and examples 78 Performing the diffractive analysis 82 PART II: Diffractions 87 CHAPTER 5. Relationality 89 Educational relationality and relata 90 Becoming as impermanence 96 Constantly replaced but constantly unique 102 Relationality as proximity 107 In other words 117 6 CHAPTER 6. Education 119 Locating education to edu-activities 120 Intelligibility – posthuman learning 130 In other words 147 PART III: Examples 149 CHAPTER 7. Literacy Dogs 153 Animals in education 154 Companion species 157 Literacy dogs as educational relationality 160 CHAPTER 8. Augmented Reality Technology 171 Technology in education 173 The cyborg 177 AR technology as educational relationality 179 CONCLUSION. Towards New Beginnings 187 Alone in the forest 188 Window gazing 191 Strike a pose and observe 193 Cutting through water 195 Summary 197 References 205 7 8 Acknowledgements This thesis came into being through relations with people, animals, books, experiences, ideas, things, and places. I owe great thanks to each and everyone for contributing to these relations. Thank you Department of Sociology, Division for Education, for giving me this opportunity and support in my work. I have truly enjoyed these years at Lund University. Thank you Bosse Bergstedt and Barbara Schulte for taking on the task of being my supervisors. You have shown great support while gently guiding me through the process. And thank you Hillevi Lenz Taguchi for being my supervisor for part of my PhD period; you had a valuable influence on the thesis’ direction towards posthumanist thinking. Thank you PhD colleagues at the Department of Sociology in Lund for being talented, funny and nice. Lotta Johansson, thanks for being an inspiration and for providing insightful comments on my work. My academic sisters, Katrine Tinning and Priscilla Solano: I miss you already. Thank you Tina Kindeberg, Mia Liinason and Tine Jensen for providing excellent readings of my texts regarding my midterm and final seminars. Your comments were crucial for the development of this thesis. Thank you Karin Gunnarsson, Marie Hållander, Erica Hagström, Linnea Bodén and Rebecca Adami for being inspiring PhD colleagues, despite being at different universities. We have shared texts, discussed theories, and have been hanging out at conferences. Only generosity, inspiration, ambition, and interest have dominated our contact. Let’s keep it that way. Thank you Carl-Göran Heidegren for providing insightful comments on an early draft of Chapter 2 on the Western humanist history. Thank you Anna Goffe for the amazing graphic design of the thesis. Stay uncool. Thank you Julia Johansson for initiating our project The Relational Institute (relationsinstitutet.org). It is a privilege to be working with you; it