Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities
Abstract
In this short and powerful book, celebrated philosopher Martha Nussbaum makes a passionate case for the importance of the liberal arts at all levels of education. Historically, the humanities have been central to education because they have rightly been seen as essential for creating competent democratic citizens. But recently, Nussbaum argues, thinking about the aims of education has gone disturbingly awry both in the United States and abroad. Anxiously focused on national economic growth, we increasingly treat education as though its primary goal were to teach students to be economically productive rather than to think critically and become knowledgeable and empathetic citizens. This shortsighted focus on profitable skills has eroded our ability to criticize authority, reduced our sympathy with the marginalized and different, and damaged our competence to deal with complex global problems. And the loss of these basic capacities jeopardizes the health of democracies and the hope of a decent world. In response to this dire situation, Nussbaum argues that we must resist efforts to reduce education to a tool of the gross national product. Rather, we must work to reconnect education to the humanities in order to give students the capacity to be true democratic citizens of their countries and the world. Drawing on the stories of troubling--and hopeful--educational developments from around the world, Nussbaum offers a manifesto that should be a rallying cry for anyone who cares about the deepest purposes of education.
... However, implementing a humanistic concept faces several challenges. These include institutional inertia, the dominance of utilitarian approaches, standardised assessments, and the fragmentation of the educational space (Nussbaum, 2012). ...
... In response to these challenges, today's philosophical and pedagogical concepts offer specific strategies for transforming educational practice. These include critical pedagogy (Freire, 2018), cultural pedagogy (Nussbaum, 2012), the theory of multiple intelligences (Davis et al., 2011), and the interdisciplinary humanistic approach (STEAM) (Montés et al., 2024). Table 2 provides practical recommendations for transforming education at three levels. ...
The current sociocultural landscape is characterised by the rapid growth of social sciences and an accumulation of knowledge in social and humanities expertise. At the same time, there is an accelerated development of social education. The global educational crisis, coupled with the drawbacks of existing reform strategies, has highlighted the need for philosophical reflection on education. Achieving educational objectives at the international (those initiated by UNESCO) and national levels requires new conceptual, methodological and axiological approaches. In the 21st century, the philosophy of education must allow for individual choice in addressing traditional metaphysical questions while being rooted in a collective understanding of present-day realities. However, the educational system is overly focused on past scientific knowledge and often neglects culture, human nature and existential needs. As a result, today’s education, lacking deep roots in the cultural-historical process, inadvertently disconnects people from their cultural heritage, leading to potentially harmful outcomes. Meanwhile, one’s perception of the world and humanity is shaped by human creativity and the cultural-historical foundations of human communities. Even science draws its norms from these foundations and serves as a component and expression of culture. This article analyses current approaches to defining the role of the philosophy of education, as well as identifying key trends in its development within Ukrainian and international scientific discourse. It provides a historical overview of the periods when the philosophy of education first emerged as an aspect of post-history. Additionally, the article explores the evolution of a new philosophical paradigm within the education sector. Finally, it uncovers the potential consequences for both educational thought and practice.
... Several countries have reduced funding for social sciences and humanities research in universities to refocus more resources on disciplines that have immediate economic benefits. Universities in the United Kingdom are experiencing significant financial challenges, which has led to increased redundancies and budget cuts across various institutions and academic disciplines, especially in the humanities and social sciences (O'Hara, 2025). In 2015, the Japanese government urged national universities to abolish or transform humanities and social sciences departments to align with societal needs, resulting in over 50 universities reducing or eliminating these departments (Blakemore, 2015). ...
... However, if research always gets involved in political questions or government policy aims, it risks destroying the value of academic research autonomy. Social science and the humanities help us understand and shape human society, and they complement STEM in creating well-rounded and socially responsible citizens (Klein, 2014;Nussbaum, 2016;Stanley, 2015). Their value is indispensable, requiring the government's sustained support in research funding. ...
As a common trend in neoliberal higher education systems, the New Zealand government recently announced that it would remove the social sciences and humanities from the Marsden Fund in 2025 to support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) more in order to rebuild the economy. The decision has sparked a range of reactions from various sectors, which generally ask that the government reconsider its decision. I draw from the public reactions and interviews with 26 academics and senior academic research administrators to argue that the impact of government funding cuts for humanities and social sciences on society may be huge if the New Zealand government does not reconsider its decision. The STEM subjects are undoubtedly crucial for the economic growth of a country. However, measuring success by mainly economic contributions may be disastrous because there is much more to success than just attaining economic targets. The humanities and social sciences also contribute to the knowledge economy by teaching society about democracy , philosophy of science, ethics and values that allow peaceful coexistence and make a country prosperous. Therefore, investment in one should not lead to the neglect of the other.
... Martha Nussbaum, pabrėžia, kad moralinės vaizduotės lavinimas per literatūrą ir meno formas gali praturtinti moralinį diskursą, taip suteikdamas gelmės ir politikos debatams. Taigi, moralinė vaizduotė yra itin vertinga priemonė politikoje, leidžianti kurti labiau humaniškas ir įtraukias politikos paradigmas (Nussbaum 2010). ...
... Public Policy and Administration. 2025, Vol.24, Nr. 1, ...
Tyrimo aktualumas remiasi gausiai nagrinėjama, bet neišsemiama politikos bei moralės santykio filosofija. Pagrindinė tyrimo koncepcija – moralinė vaizduotė, kurią teoretikai sieja su dvejopais subjekto gebėjimais: gebėjimu įžvelgti moralinius situacijos aspektus (įžvalga) ir gebėjimu įsivaizduoti galimybių daugį (įžvalgų kiekis), t. y. alternatyvius probleminės situacijos sprendimus iš moralinės perspektyvos. Lyginant su sprendimų priėmimu verslo valdymo sektoriuje, kur moralinė vaizduotė empiriškai nagrinėta daugiau, politinės diskusijos ir svarstymai yra platesni savo tematikomis, o jiems įtakos turi didesnis ir įvairesnis veikėjų bei idėjų ratas. Tikslas – analizuojant per įžvalgos ir galimybių daugio numatymo komponentus atrasti politiniuose debatuose moralinės vaizduotės raišką ir jos sąlygas. Tyrimo empirinis pagrindas – su COVID-19 pandemijos valdymu susiję Seimo debatai. Tyrinėjama, kiek politikai geba įžvelgti moralinių klausimų, susijusių su nagrinėjama situacija, spektrą ir kiek plačios (ypač iš moralinės perspektyvos) yra galimų sprendimų, siūlymų išspręsti problemą, diskusijos, darant prielaidą, jog šie du moralinės vaizduotės apibrėžimais pagrįsti komponentai nusako moralinės vaizduotės kaip gebėjimo charakteristiką subjekto atžvilgiu. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad politiniame diskurse galima aptikti (ir toliau tyrinėti) moralinės vaizduotės komponentus, naudojant turinio teminės analizės metodą. Taip pat tyrimas atskleidė, kad galėtų būti vertingas tolesnis moralinės vaizduotės ir ideologijos sąveikos tyrinėjimas. The Manifestation of Moral Imagination in the Debates of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on COVID-19 Management Abstract The relevance of the study is based on the widely studied, but inexhaustible philosophy of the relationship between politics and morality. The main concept of the study is moral imagination, which theorists associate with two abilities of the subject: the ability to see the moral aspects of a situation (insight) and the ability to imagine a multitude of possibilities (insight quantity), i.e. alternative solutions to a problematic situation from a moral perspective. Compared to decision-making in the business management sector, where moral imagination has been empirically studied more, political discussions and deliberations are broader in their topics, and they are influenced by a larger and more diverse circle of actors and ideas. The goal is to discover the manifestation of moral imagination in political debates and its conditions through the analysis of the components of insight and foresight of possibilities. The empirical basis of the study is the Seimas debates related to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examines the extent to which politicians are able to perceive the spectrum of moral issues related to the situation under consideration and how broad (especially from a moral perspective) the range of possible solutions, proposals for solving the problem, and discussions are, assuming that these two components based on definitions of moral imagination define the characteristics of the ability of moral imagination in relation to the subject. The results of the study show that it is possible to detect (and further study) components of moral imagination in political discourse using the thematic analysis of content. The study also revealed that further research into the bond between moral imagination and ideology could be valuable.
... Realising the Ambition: Being Me (Scottish Government, 2020) the rhetoric of high quality within caring, nurturing relationships between practitioners/managers and children and families, children and families able to exercise choice and express their needs through their voices is presented but I argue it is being paid lip service. As Nussbaum (2010) outlines below the rhetoric of a valuing of diversity, respect for difference and democracy is something that governments like to talk about whilst at the same time projecting an agenda of education based on market profitability. ...
Allan, Agnes Helen (2024) A Foucauldian analysis of the discourses of quality and its relationship to tools of surveillance in early learning and childcare in Scotland. Ed.D thesis.
The concept and pursuit of quality in the early years sector in Scotland is highly significant to the Scottish Government, wider policy actors such as the OECD, SSSC, the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland, and most importantly early years practitioners and managers. The pursuit of quality is foregrounded in the plethora of current Scottish Government guidance and frameworks and is the ‘golden thread’ running through core policy the Blueprint for 2020: The Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland, Quality Action Plan (Scottish Government (2017:2).
I argue that quality, as presented in the policy, frameworks, standards, and inspection is something objective, real, and knowable – something that is presented, measured, regulated, and inspected through a neoliberal discourse. I am concerned that as practitioners and managers strive to be ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ their autonomy, subjectivity, and agency as professionals is diminished and the criteria and standardised categories become tools of surveillance and power. Children and childhood in this discourse becomes datafied. Through the use of 1-1 interviews, my research explores practitioners' and managers’ lived experiences of, compliance with, and possible resistance to, current policy discourses and processes of conceptualising quality. I argue that the current, dominant discourse of quality
– control, predictability, measurement – disregards the complexity and plurality of early learning and childcare in Scotland. I utilise Foucault’s (1978) theory and perspectives on discourse, power, and its relationship to subjectivity as particularly apt for my study. Foucault’s power/knowledge ideas help to unsettle current dominant discourses and taken-for-granted assumptions present in early
learning and childcare through the speaking of other ‘truths’ such as those spoken by the participants in this study.In this study I propose that there are alternative ways of being, those that value diversity and plurality, and that although the early learning and childcare sector in Scotland has undergone many recent policy changes and is considered to be in a fragile state (Audit Scotland, 2023) the practitioners and managers working in the sector know the quality they value and can find a way to have their voices heard.
... In recent years, marked by social fragmentation, rising intolerance, and conflict, education systems around the world have increasingly focused on promoting these outcomes by operating school environments that nurture empathetic, resilient, and socially responsible citizens. Nussbaum (2010) argues that affective education focused on emotional intelligence, moral reasoning, and intercultural understanding is vital for the health of democratic societies. ...
In recent years, educational systems worldwide have faced growing pressure to prepare young people to contribute meaningfully to personal well-being and societal progress. However, persistent disparities in educational outcomes and youth behaviour across Cameroon’s Anglophone regions have raised concerns about the effectiveness of school governance, highlighting the need for research into administrative practices with potential to drive improvement. Anchored in Equity Theory, this study focused on three governance dimensions—equity practices, service quality, and stakeholder engagement—and how each influences educational outcome. A descriptive-correlational survey design in a mixed-method was employed, using a structured questionnaire, semi-structured interview guide, and document analysis checklist. Schools and participants were selected through purposive and proportionate sampling techniques. Of the original 500 teachers, 30 principals, and 30 PTA presidents from 30 government secondary schools in Fako and Mezam Divisions, data were retained from 219 teachers, 13 principals, and 13 PTA presidents across 13 schools that met a 65% minimum threshold on governance and educational outcome standards. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and Pearson correlation via SPSS Version 25.0, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic and content analysis. Teachers reported commendable practices supporting equity, quality, and stakeholder engagement, including fair admission, targeted learner support, well-maintained facilities, professional staff, inclusive decision-making and regular PTA meetings. Results showed a high mean score for educational outcomes (M = 4.03, SD = 0.63), significantly associated with equity (r = .582, p < .01), service quality (r = .621, p < .01), and stakeholder engagement (r = .556, p < .01). Documentary records supported these findings, with GCE pass rates averaging 79.2%, attendance and completion at 84%, over 70% proficiency in literacy and numeracy, and satisfactory student moral behaviour. Qualitative themes included inclusive resource allocation, infrastructure improvement, professional support, and participatory leadership. The study concludes that schools embedding fairness, quality, and inclusive governance significantly enhance learner outcomes and institutional resilience. It recommends targeted support for disadvantaged youths, investment in infrastructure and teacher development, and the promotion of participatory governance to improve outcomes in the study area and similar contexts.
... It prioritizes efficiency and optimization through the mastery of tools, algorithms, and design processes [1], [2]. Although these hard skills are undeniably valuable, they seem to be taught in isolation from the cultural and ethical operational contexts of these technologies [3], [4]. Wholeperson education, however, is grounded in the development of the learners while integrating technical expertise with interdisciplinary thinking and social responsibility; it is not depersonalized [2], [5]. ...
This autoethnographic study explores the need for interdisciplinary education spanning both technical and philosophical skills - as such, this study leverages whole-person education as a theoretical approach needed in AI engineering education to address the limitations of current paradigms that prioritize technical expertise over ethical and societal considerations. Drawing on a collaborative autoethnography approach of fourteen diverse stakeholders, the study identifies key motivations driving the call for change, including the need for global perspectives, bridging the gap between academia and industry, integrating ethics and societal impact, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. The findings challenge the myths of technological neutrality and technosaviourism, advocating for a future where AI engineers are equipped not only with technical skills but also with the ethical awareness, social responsibility, and interdisciplinary understanding necessary to navigate the complex challenges of AI development. The study provides valuable insights and recommendations for transforming AI engineering education to ensure the responsible development of AI technologies.
... З позиції гуманістичної психології та педагогіки ці ментальні структури є бар'єрами раціонального аналізу та внутрішніми обмеженнями моральної чутливості. Вони знижують здатність до інтерсуб'єктивного бачення, обмежують емпатичну відкритість і посилюють реактивність освітніх систем до інакшості [17]. Саме тому когнітивна гігієна -тобто розвиток метакогнітивної рефлексії, емоційної регуляції та ціннісного мислення, є етичним ядром освіти [18]. ...
... Como obras de referencia se pueden citar, entre otras: Palmer (1998); Pocklington y Tupper (2002); y Coleman y Kamboureli (2011). Destacan, en otro orden de cosas, textos más conocidos, como una sátira-novela de campus (Smiley, 1995), o el ensayo (Nussbaum, 2010). Son nueve las recomendaciones con que concluye el capítulo que pasan a relacionarse: "1. ...
... Integrating these principles into the educational process requires a balance between historical continuity and modern demands. Adapting education to the challenges of the 21st century necessitates harmonizing the development of technical and professional skills with the cultivation of critical thinking, democratic awareness, and cultural sensitivity (Nussbaum, 2010). Developments in the European Union's educational policy underscore the importance of this synthesis, to create an educational system that addresses both labor market demands and the preservation of the core values of European culture (European Commission, 2020). ...
The analysis of the European educational system focuses on the necessity of developing a modern educational model that recognizes the significance of cultural heritage and integrates it harmoniously into the demands of modern society, in a rapidly changing world. Linking the past with the future constitutes a central pillar of European education, as the identity and values that have shaped European society must not be neglected but rather incorporated into the contemporary educational discourse. Through systematic and in-depth research, this article explores and elaborates on this necessity, offering a comprehensive analysis of the integration of cultural heritage within the framework of the European educational system, while acknowledging the modern challenges and the need for education to adapt to the conditions of a globalized society. Its integration into education does not imply resistance to progress but rather enhances the potential for developing a society that constructively engages in contemporary challenges. At the same time, the article highlights the importance of education in fostering social solidarity, cooperation, and respect for cultural differences. The need to promote critical thinking, empathy, and the capacity to navigate a multicultural world strengthens democratic values and deepens young people’s understanding of their cultural roots. Education in the 21st century can combine cultural heritage with modern demands, creating a coherent and resilient social fabric capable of responding to global needs without severing ties with the foundational values on which it is built.
... The lack of interfaces also means that little is known about specific needs that emerge from the practice field. 6) Despite the fact that SSH scholarship (and also other fields of science) is often committed to do research for the good of society, the interest of researchers is often not oriented towards producing usable results such as social innovations (see the various aspects discussed in Reale et al. 2017;Benneworth, 2015;Brewer, 2013;Nussbaum, 2010). The findings from our survey confirm that structural shortcomings at university-level to support social innovation exist. ...
This paper scrutinises the spread and the conditions of social innovation research in Austria in social sciences. Although the empirical results are inconclusive, social innovation is definitely not a marginal topic in social sciences in Austria. More than 80% of the responding social scientists deal with social innovation at different levels of intensity. It also seems that social innovation works well for the overall self-representation of the universities. The construct of social entrepreneurship has probably contributed most to anchoring the notion of social innovation in the higher education sector in Austria, especially in teaching. Although some curricula and courses are more confined to traditional business school topics, some transcend the narrow business focus towards sociological and political approaches. The academic embedding of social innovation in Austria, however, is still hampered by structural factors. Our findings show a lack of both tangible and intangible support measures. Resumen Este artículo examina la difusión y las condiciones de la investigación sobre la innovación social en Austria en el ámbito de las ciencias sociales. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que, aunque los datos empíricos no son concluyentes, la innovación social en Austria no es un tema marginal en el contexto de las ciencias sociales. Más del 80% de los científicos sociales que participaron en la investigación se ocupan de la innovación social en diferentes niveles de intensidad. Asimismo, se revela que la innovación social funciona bien para la autorrepresentación general de las universidades. El concepto de emprendimiento social es el que más ha contribuido a afianzar la noción de innovación social en el sector de la educación superior en Austria, especialmente en la enseñanza. Aunque algunos planes de estudio y cursos se limitan más a los temas tradicionales de las escuelas de negocios, algunos trascienden el estrecho enfoque empresarial hacia enfoques sociológicos y políticos. Sin embargo, la integración académica de la innovación social en Austria sigue viéndose obstaculizada por factores estructurales. Por tanto, los resultados muestran una falta de medidas de apoyo tanto tangibles como intangibles. Palabras clave: innovación social; Austria; innovación social en Austria; tercera misión; medidas de apoyo. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir.21-2.1
... These are the seeds of what we have defined the "asymmetric society" [1,2,8,23]: an apparently open and inclusive society that, in reality, guarantees opportunities of inclusion and mobility only along theoretical lines and within a purely legal frame of reference. The latter, necessary but not sufficient for building, and indeed, guaranteeing the pre-requisites for a complete, fully participatory, and non-hetero-directed citizenship [25,26,28,57,[62][63][64][65], as I have defined it in previous works [2,9,10]. ...
Hurled into hypercomplexity, we are facing a complex process of anthropological transformation, of a shift in paradigms, models and codes, other than an irreversible synthesis of new value systems and criteria for judgment. Our extraordinary scientific discoveries and technological innovations not only open dizzily onto as yet unimaginable horizons and scenarios, but show, ever more clearly, the urgency of radically rethinking education, teaching and training, and of a systemic approach to complexity, which in the meantime has become hypercomplexity, underlining the substantial inadequacy of our schools and universities in dealing with this hypercomplexity, in dealing with the indeterminateness and ambivalence of the ongoing metamorphosis, in dealing with the global extension of all political, social and cultural processes. The conceptual framework of this paper, therefore, has the following objectives: a) to provide a functional definition of complexity and hypercomplexity and of our limits in understanding them; b) to highlight the urgency of a systemic approach to complexity and of rethinking education and training beyond «false dichotomies» (education determines new asymmetries and inequalities, which in turn influence educational policies). The social and cultural innovation belongs to those who will succeed in healing the fracture between the human and the technological, to those who will succeed in redefining and rethinking the complex relationships between the natural and the artificial, to those who will manage to bring knowledge and skills together (not to separate them), to those who will, furthermore, know how to unite and merge the two cultures (scientific and humanistic), both in terms of education and formative training and in defining profiles and professional competences.
... The philosopher Martha Nussbaum [5] argues that arts in general and play in particular is important for building a democratic society. In brief, play is a medium to develop imagination which is the foundation of empathy which in turn is the basic capability to live together with others different from us. ...
... As found by Mohajer and Earnest, (2009), scholarships about youth empowerment emphasise activities such as micro-credit and employment schemes in many African countries. Also, peacebuilding and development educational policies and programmings mostly emphasise capitalistic functioning (e.g., vocational training and employability skills like literacy and income generation for well-being and better standard of living; Novelli and Higgins, 2016) more than capabilities for sociopolitical or social justice functioning (e.g., critical thinking, opportunities and freedom to exercise choice) (Nussbaum, 2010;Sen, 1985). Nigeria's education policy toes the same line. ...
This paper considers whether self-reliance and empowerment discourses within Nigerian civic education are sufficient to actualise civic education aims of promoting freedom, human agency, and active citizenship. Drawing on qualitative data, it analysed the representations of self-reliance and youth empowerment concepts in civic education curriculum and prescribed textbooks for secondary schools, along with six civics teachers’ understanding and classroom implementation of these concepts. Findings show that economic-centric/neoliberal perspective dominates the framing of these concepts within civic education. This dominant perspective is driven by how self-reliance is framed in Nigeria's education policy. Relying on human capability and sociopolitical development models, the paper argues that the neoliberal perspective framing of self-reliance and empowerment undermines actualising the goals of civic education: to empower citizens for civic agency and sociopolitical actions that challenge systemic issues, such as inequality and corruption, which perpetuate social injustices like unemployment and poverty targeted by economic empowerment. Noting an increase in poverty and unemployment targeted by human capital approaches, the paper recommends a shift towards sociopolitical capabilities-informed perspective on self-reliance and empowerment in civic education. This, it argues, will complement the economic-centric perspectives emphasised in vocational subjects and foster holistic human flourishing.
... En esta pedagogía ampliada, cada colectividad se forja a partir de los aportes de cada singularidad y se nutre de la ampliación de los límites de las disciplinas, los géneros, las generaciones y las culturas. Como propone Nussbaum (2010), una educación ética y estética fomenta la solidaridad y la empatía, necesarias para construir una sociedad justa y compasiva. ...
El libro recopila las ponencias mas relevantes del IV FORO DANZA Y NIÑEZ Dedicado a la reflexión sobre el cuerpo, la lúdica y la educación.
Bildung und Ethik sind eng miteinander verwoben. Der vorliegende Sammelband beleuchtet theoretische Grundlagen, Zielsetzungen und Prinzipien der Bildungsethik. Zudem veranschaulicht er deren Relevanz anhand paradigmatischer Anwendungsbeispiele, erweitert den Horizont und eröffnet neue Zukunftsperspektiven. Die Bildungsethik ist ein essenzielles, wenn auch bisher wenig etabliertes Forschungsfeld an der Schnittstelle von Bildungswissenschaften und philosophischer Ethik. Eine interdisziplinäre Vernetzung ist daher entscheidend, um ethische Grundlagen mit bildungswissenschaftlichen Fragestellungen zu verknüpfen. Dieser Ansatz ermöglicht es, den wissenschaftlichen Diskurs zu vertiefen und praxisrelevante Impulse zu setzten. Damit trägt der Band sowohl zur Weiterentwicklung der Bildungsforschung bei als auch zur sichtbaren Erweiterung der Angewandten Ethik um eine wesentliche Dimension. (DIPF/Orig.)
In this article we discuss how the design of a higher education language course can challenge the power of sentimentality in the classroom. In particular, the paper analyses the role of literature in intercultural language education through the lens of affect theory, while focusing on minimizing sentimentality in the classroom, especially when the literary texts used confront students with trauma-related content involving human rights abuse, death and suffering, and trigger discomforting emotions in students such as sadness, anguish, fear and more. We suggest that it is important for educators and students in higher education to recognize the affective and biopolitical dimensions of literature teaching in intercultural language education. This is illustrated through the design of an English language course syllabus in an Argentinian higher education setting. The paper concludes with a discussion of the curricular and pedagogical implications for intercultural language education.
Objetivo: El presente artículo tiene como objetivo profundizar en una idea central de Freire: la importancia del diálogo y del amor en la educación, explorando su relevancia en el contexto educativo actual. Originalidad/aporte: El aporte principal de este artículo es concebir la educación como un acto de amor y diálogo, y cómo esta concepción puede ser aplicada en la práctica educativa. La originalidad está dada en que se explora cómo Freire concibe la educación como un proceso dialógico que implica el amor y el respeto por el otro. Método: Se utiliza el método histórico-hermenéutico, para realizar un análisis crítico de las principales aportaciones de Freire al pensamiento pedagógico, así como de las investigaciones más recientes que han retomado y desarrollado sus ideas. Estrategias/Recolección de información: Mediante un análisis bibliográfico-documental, se discuten las implicaciones prácticas de concebir la educación como un acto de amor y diálogo en el diseño y la implementación de prácticas pedagógicas innovadoras. Conclusiones: A través de conceptos clave, se analiza cómo la educación puede ser un espacio para la transformación social, utilizando la metáfora de "Educar es amar" como símbolo de esta labor educativa. Se analizan los ejes de reflexión en la pedagogía dialógica (del amar) de Pablo Freire: escuela, enseñanza-aprendizaje-evaluación, diálogo, lectura, rol del profesor, rol de los estudiantes.
In a narrative interview study on how academic staff in humanities and social science departments at a Scandinavian university live their lives in academia, we encountered a conspicuous narrative about being privileged . ‘It is an immense privilege to hold a university position’, our interviewees stated repeatedly and in a variety of ways. In this article, we argue that this narrative of privilege is more than a simple display of modesty. Rather, we interpret its evocation as a highly charged expression of something that is being ‘excommunicated’ and thus increasingly difficult to put into words within the neoliberal university. Giving form to this symbolic absence, we propose that what has gone missing from current university culture is the acknowledgement of the legitimacy of ‘mental space’ (Young, 1994). In our analysis, we define ‘mental space’ as the creative and searching work of developing novel ways of thinking and nourishing one’s understanding of the world. By characterising this foundational dimension of scholarly work as a ‘privilege’, and therefore as something that is not ever fully deserved, the pursuit of knowledge itself becomes indebting and the mental space that academic work is based on becomes depleted and hollowed out.
This study aims to analyse undergraduate research in Literature at a Peruvian university. A systematic mapping of ten works published between 2017 and 2022 was carried out. The results show a preference for research in Peruvian literature and that the most studied literary genre is narrative. It is concluded that the studies do not clearly describe scientific methods or methodologies of literary analysis; due to their diversity, to the fact that literary studies have an interdisciplinary complexity, and because university educational efforts in research are focused on the last semesters.
Neoliberalism absolutises economic and market rationality and foregrounds values that serve the economy's exclusive needs. As a result, it not only alters the aims and objectives of education but also erodes, marginalises and replaces authentic pedagogical and social values with marked values such as individualism, competition, performance, self-interest, self-reliance, accountability, etc. These market values negatively affect school discipline by transforming what it means to be a teacher and a learner. In addition, it also changes the teacher-learner relationships, with both teachers and learners being disengaged from the teaching and learning process. This conceptual paper argues that South Africa's adoption of neoliberal education policies negatively impacted teacher and learner value systems and teacher-learner relationships, resulting in a decay in social values in schools and creating a favourable context for exacerbating ill-discipline in South African schools. It proposes Ubuntu as an ethical and moral framework for restoring teacher-learner relationships and reversing neoliberalism's negative influence on learner discipline in South African schools.
Fairytales and children's moral stories are often considered innocent vehicles for character development, but beneath their whimsical surface lies a sophisticated apparatus for ideological conditioning. These narratives encode value systems-rewarding obedience, punishing deviance, reinforcing hierarchy-that shape early moral frameworks and often prefigure adult political beliefs. This article interrogates the political subtext of early moral storytelling, examining how cultural, national, and institutional ideologies embed themselves within childhood narratives. Drawing from literary analysis, developmental psychology, and political theory, it traces the semiotic construction of morality, the role of symbolic authority, and the enduring influence of these narratives on civic identity, gender norms, and social order. The article ultimately calls for a re-evaluation of pedagogical storytelling as a formative site of ideological transmission, where the boundaries between culture and politics blur from the very beginning of education.
The atrocities of World War II were pivotal to the launch of the human rights project, which became anchored on the recognition of the inherent dignity of all humans and formed a cornerstone justifying the ascription of rights. Indeed, it became essential to recognise education as a human right given the emergent need to promote the use of reason, having recognised humans as people imbued with inherent dignity. This paper explores the right to education in international human rights law (IHRL) from the perspective of its purpose, and uses IHRL as its starting point. It argues that the ascription of inherent dignity to everyone justifies access to education and investigates the nexus between dignity and education, arguing that access to education is a sine qua non to expanding the inherent dignity of all humans. Thus, it argues that the recognition of dignity requires that all children must be provided with equal access to education to stimulate the use of reason.
Nigeria, a country with diverse ethnicities, cultures, and religious affiliations, has grappled with numerous challenges to its peace and stability. Among these challenges, gender inequality has persisted, undermining the full realization of democratic ideals and exacerbating conflicts. When the word "gender" is uttered, most people immediately associate it with women, who in many societies face discrimination and are frequently placed in a disadvantageous position with respect to men. Consequently, programs aimed at empowering women are being promoted in order to mitigate the negative effects of this subjugation on women. This paper explored the interplay between democracy, gender equality, and sustainable peace in Nigeria. It examined how promoting gender equality within the framework of democracy can serve as a crucial catalyst for sustainable peace in the country. This study is premised on the Human Security Framework and Feminist Peace theory. By analyzing existing literature, policies, and case studies, this paper discovered that addressing gender disparities is not only a matter of justice and human rights but also a prerequisite for achieving lasting peace and development in Nigeria. The presentation comes to the conclusion that if both genders are correctly appreciated with each playing their role, not discriminating or demeaning any position, the resultant effect will not only result in development; instead, sustainable peace will be attained. The paper explores Nigeria's democratic government's role in achieving sustainable peace by adhering to gender equality policies, providing empowerment initiatives for women, and prioritizing democratic dividends for all citizens, regardless of gender, through various academic methods.
Aksiologi, sebagai cabang filsafat yang mempelajari nilai-nilai, memiliki peran penting dalam pendidikan, khususnya di sekolah dasar. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi dan menganalisis implementasi nilai-nilai aksiologis dalam lingkungan pendidikan di sekolah dasar, serta dampaknya terhadap perkembangan karakter peserta didik. Dalam konteks globalisasi dan perubahan sosial yang cepat, pendidikan karakter menjadi semakin penting untuk membentuk individu yang tidak hanya cerdas secara akademis, tetapi juga memiliki integritas, empati, dan tanggung jawab sosial. Melalui pendekatan kualitatif, penelitian ini melibatkan observasi, wawancara, dan studi dokumentasi di beberapa sekolah dasar. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa integrasi nilai-nilai aksiologis dalam kurikulum dan kegiatan ekstrakurikuler berdampak signifikan terhadap pembentukan karakter siswa. Salah satu temuan utama adalah bahwa siswa yang terlibat dalam kegiatan yang menekankan nilai-nilai seperti kerjasama, kejujuran, dan rasa hormat menunjukkan peningkatan dalam sikap sosial dan moral. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa untuk mencapai pendidikan yang holistik, sekolah perlu lebih fokus pada implementasi nilai-nilai aksiologis dalam setiap aspek pendidikan, serta melibatkan orang tua dan masyarakat dalam proses tersebut.
The community service program "Empathy and Integrity: Building Character in the Digital Era" was implemented in Botohili Silambo Village to address the social challenges arising from technological advancements. With a focus on character education, this program aims to enhance awareness and application of the values of empathy and integrity among the youth. Through interactive methods such as workshops, group discussions, and collaborative projects, participants are invited to understand and internalize these values. Evaluation results show a significant increase in participants' understanding of the importance of empathy and integrity in daily interactions. Additionally, there has been a positive change in behavior, including increased participation in social activities and more responsible use of digital media. This program is expected to contribute to the formation of a more harmonious and integrity-driven society, and serve as a model for similar initiatives in the future.
In a time of multiple global developments and challenges, there is an acknowledged need for education for sustainable development (ESD) worldwide. At school, pupils should be supported in all subjects to acquire competences that enable them to cope with the challenges provoked by the complexity of a constantly changing world. In this context, the value of physical education (PE) as an enabler of sustainable development has also been recognized. For ESD to be integrated in PE in schools, it is essential to implement it in higher education in the study courses of future PE teachers. These teachers must be aware of their own role as agents of change and the contribution their own field and subject can make. The following article will argue that ESD can be implemented in physical education teacher education (PETE) at higher education level by giving an example of how and to what extent this might be done. It will review a teaching format in the master’s study course in PETE at the University of Potsdam, in which ESD is embedded. The concept of the project seminar was developed within the teaching project Research fields in sports education and didactics – the body in the context of digitalisation and digitality, which is one of 12 projects in the UP Network for Sustainable Teacher Education, funded by the DAAD programme Lehramt. International (2021–24). The project seminar focuses especially on the thematic complex of (changing) corporeality in the context of digitality and digitalization as an excerpt of human encounters with the world.
In an era of rapid societal change and political and ecological global crises, universities play a vital role in educating future teachers for sustainable development and global citizenship. As teacher educators at universities, solving these complex issues is beyond our scope. Nevertheless, our volume addresses the pivotal role of teacher education in fostering inclusive, sustainable, and peaceful societies. How can universities empower future teachers to navigate these complexities and cultivate the competencies needed for sustainable development and global citizenship? How can they guide learners towards becoming responsible citizens of the world? Our volume explores these questions, presenting concepts and pedagogical approaches developed within the international project UP Network for Sustainable Teacher Education (2021-2024), coordinated by the University of Potsdam and sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Laying the theoretical foundation by providing a framework that emphasizes the transformative potential of Education for Sustainable Development and the importance of action-oriented pedagogy, the volume offers insights from the interdisciplinary, international Summer School Teaching the SDGs held in 2022. The Summer School concept provides a practical example of how Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship can be integrated into teacher education programs through practical experiences and subject-specific viewpoints. Recognizing the global nature of the challenges associated with sustainable development and our shared responsibility to address them, this volume concludes by presenting various successful strategies and models from the University of Potsdam.
By sharing our collaborative projects in this volume, we aim to offer insights into our activities, contribute to the academic discourse on Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in teacher education, and inspire collaboration across diverse contexts. We invite teacher educators from all fields to join us in sharing context-specific concepts and approaches, fostering the development of global competencies for a sustainable future.
Since the last century, one of the topics that has attracted considerable attention from those interested in education is guidance, whose purpose is to promote the ability of pupils to develop vocations. Many authors consider guidance to be an essential aspect of training, it considers the present and future of the person. Definitions of the concept of guidance are examined from different points of view, including that which considers it a set of processes with high educational investment aimed at the valorization of the person. The plurality of processes, consisting of interventions and actions which, if properly activated, enable young people to have a conscious access to the world and life, to participate in civil society, politics and culture, the realization of an existential project which requires capacity for conception, action and transformation. It is therefore understandable that guidance is a necessary aspect of training, in order to avoid creating negative situations for young people, such as forms of distress and failure.
For many people, the Middle Ages were a ‘dark age’ we have fortunately left behind. Of course, today, we live under much better material conditions, at least in the Western world, but this does not mean at all that the insights and perspectives by medieval authors might be irrelevant for us today. Contrary to foolish mythical thinking about the past, we can often realize how much pre-modern thinkers had developed deep insights into the human psyche, social conditions, individual shortcomings and failures, and had also outlined significant strategies for coping in a complex society where many groups and individuals struggled against each other. In fact, as this article will indicate, by way of drawing from a list of seven key C-words (communication, community, compromise, etc.), we can explore medieval literature more deeply and extract from it timeless messages of great relevance for us today. This will be illustrated by way of examining some of the verse narratives by the late medieval German poet Heinrich Kaufringer in which we can discover powerful insights into fundamental conflicts people have always suffered from and how to come to terms with them.
Professional practices have emerged as a pedagogical strategy that allows students to acquire essential skills and strengthen competencies for their professional growth. This paper is part of the research project entitled "Incidence of professional practice on the disciplinary competencies and the level of human development of students at the Corporación Universitaria del Caribe-CECAR". The objective is to evaluate the level of human development of students who participate in professional practices in the Corporación Universitaria del Caribe CECAR first period 2023. The methodology had a quantitative approach of descriptive type, the population are the students in professional practice of CECAR, the sample is 330 students of the Faculty of Humanities and Education.
This concept paper introduces the Contextual Critical Historical Inquiry and Analysis (CCHIA) framework—a critical synthesis tool designed to advance historical contextual inquiry in urban studies. The study aims to develop a structured methodological framework that integrates historical and critical approaches to enhance the analysis of urban phenomena. To develop this framework, we employed a two-fold strategy, conducting a literature search of the social sciences and urban studies using databases including Google Scholar, Web of Science, JSTOR, and Scopus. First, we screened Google Scholar to identify relevant scholars and works published between 1883 and 2024. Second, a content analysis of 58 peer-reviewed articles (2000–2024) was then performed. The concept paper follows a five-stage, 26-step framework integrating four history-focused concepts—interpretive history, historical perspective, historical context, and historical contextualization—alongside three critical approaches: critical discourse analysis, comparative historical analysis, and critical urban theory. By synthesizing these elements, the suggested framework equips researchers to systematically decode the historical and societal forces shaping urban phenomena. CCHIA challenges traditional urban scholarship by leveraging interdisciplinary insights from the social sciences, addressing context as a theoretical perspective for understanding urban formation, and as a critical influence on academic writing. The contribution of CCHIA lies in linking historical analysis to contemporary urban challenges—enabling researchers to focus on previous literature analysis findings to address the current situation’s challenges. The CCHIA framework offers an adaptable toolkit for producing socially engaged and context-sensitive urban textbooks.
Offered as conversations with Elmarie Costandius as reflection on practice, this article discusses the use of creative learning processes as transformative and healing space/s, and further proposes that these activation spaces be named embodied frictional artistic encounters. The construct of embodied frictional artistic encounters includes three vital participants, the artist (as creative act) as the facilitator of the immersive experience together with the spect-actor, within a designated intra-active environment. Collectively these participants collaborate to activate the artistic encounters towards a transformative and healing outcome. These communal shared intra-active space/s are heightened through affect, resonance, and wit(h)nessing, where the frictional element pertains to awakening states of doubt to alter perspective forming towards empathy. This article intends to encapsulate creative embodied learning within embodied frictional artistic encounters (celFAE/CELfae) and offer this as a dynamic means to classify such activations that serve to foster change and healing.
The purpose of this chapter is to lay a foundation to understanding human capital. While there are several definitions of human capital, the definition of utmost utility to truly understanding human capital is the one that refers to human capital as the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) of individuals that can be put to productive use and that have economic value. The concept of human capital inherently distinguishes human capital from labor also known as manual or commoditized labor. Consequently, all “labor” in the “labor” market are not the same. Human capital is that “labor” in the labor market that requires investment for it to be productive. Since economic value changes with time, context, and space, what can be regarded as human capital is therefore not static. Although the concept of human capital may have been “unthinkable” at a time in the distant past, the idea that humans have economic value is no more alien or offensive. It has become widely accepted, just like other concepts similar to human capital. This chapter explains the concept of human capital, its history, limitations, criticisms, and approaches to its study.
Education theory has been exhibiting a renewed rejection of education's instrumentality to political and economic influences against a policy trend that implicitly considers education a mere pragmatic tool. This paper suggests an ontological investigation that goes beyond normatively supporting or rejecting the instrumentality of education. It looks at instrumental relationships as a form of prosthesis supplementing the ontological incompleteness of its involved subjects. This incompleteness is argued for through Laclau and Mouffe's understanding of antagonism and Bernard Stiegler's philosophy of technics. The contribution prob-lematizes the ethical consequences such reading may have, manifested in the ethical ambivalence of instrumental ends. Then, it contends that a democratic approach to the instrumentality of education should acknowledge an inherent indeterminacy of education and what it is instrumental for and advocate a democratic coexistence with this ontol-ogy. This echoes Freud's concept of mourning as a healthy response to the loss of a natural essence, in contrast to melancholia, which refuses it. Such a position is developed by interrogating different theoretical positions and regarding the quest for education's (anti-) instrumentality as a performative discourse by many populist discourses.
This chapter examines how globalization and neo-liberalism have changed the traditional focus of higher education in teaching humanities. Examples are drawn from the Canadian higher education system and changes experienced particularly over the first two decades of the twenty-first century, in teaching humanities. Of concern are such factors as how education has become a utilitarian endeavour, troubling effects of internationalization in universities, changes in funding practices for post-secondary education, how the market has changed the focus of research, and semantic indications that reflect how neo-liberalism pervades the policies of higher education institutions today.
The research paper attempts to delineate the significant factors which may nurture or suffocate digital innovation among small business entrepreneurs operating in the handicraft industry. For the young Indian handicrafts entrepreneur, digital technology is like oxygen to survive the threats of economic downturn like the Covid-19 crisis. The research findings contribute towards the increasing body of digital information on newer and innovative approaches to entrepreneurship. This work proposes a standard against which new policies and tactics for reviving the economy and expanding the handmade goods industry through technological and entrepreneurial ingenuity can be measured.Objective: The researcher aims to identify the obstacles, like lack of available high-quality digital infrastructures, the impact of economic downturn like the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, market disruptions over digital platforms, and the lack of knowledge and IT skills required to run an online entrepreneurship business. Methodology: Owners of online handicraft enterprises and small businesses which have less or insignificant online presence - all of whom held unique craft skills, were interviewed using a qualitative technique, and the researcher then utilized inductive (qualitative) content analysis to identify the common threads from the recorded transcripts. The research findings showed that the pre and post Covid-19 pandemics’ factors motivated the movement of handicraft businesses to digital platforms, encouraging entrepreneurship and digital innovation.
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi bagaimana sastra dapat berkontribusi dalam meningkatkan pemikiran kritis di kalangan pembaca. Dalam era informasi yang serba cepat, kemampuan untuk menganalisis, mengevaluasi, dan menyimpulkan informasi secara kritis menjadi semakin penting. Sastra, dengan kekayaan narasi dan kompleksitas tema, menawarkan ruang untuk refleksi dan diskusi yang mendalam. Melalui analisis teks sastra, pembaca diajak untuk mempertanyakan asumsi, memahami berbagai perspektif, dan mengembangkan argumentasi yang logis. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan studi kasus pada beberapa karya sastra yang dianggap mampu merangsang pemikiran kritis. Hasilnya menunjukkan bahwa pembelajaran berbasis sastra tidak hanya meningkatkan keterampilan analitis, tetapi juga memperkaya pengalaman emosional dan empati pembaca. Temuan ini diharapkan dapat menjadi dasar bagi pengembangan metode pengajaran yang lebih efektif dalam pendidikan.Kata Kunci: Berpikir kritis, Karya Sastra, Analisis Karya Sastra, Empati, Kemampuan Analisis
After a period of relative impotence, the Hindu-supremacist right in India has rebounded, with the December reelection of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Narendra Modi as chief minister in Gujarat. Modi's role in the mass murders of Muslims in that state in February 2002 has long been so well documented that he has been denied a visa to enter the United States. Recently, moreover, extensive corroboration of his role was elicited by a hidden-camera inquiry conducted by the news-magazine Tehelka. Despite overwhelming evidence that he is a mass murderer extraordinaire—or perhaps, because of it—Modi defied media predictions, and even exit polls, to win by a landslide, a victory in which fund-raising and politicking by Indians residing in the United States (40 percent of Indian Americans are Gujarati) played a large role. Because the rival Congress Party, which controls the central government in a coalition, understands well the intense hatred of Muslims that animates many Gujarati Hindus, leading politicians tiptoed around the issue of sectarian violence, hoping to defeat the BJP in Gujarat on its weak economic record. Only Sonia Gandhi, courageously and repeatedly, denounced Modi's reign of blood. (American Gujaratis responded with an e-mail campaign denouncing Gandhi in abusive language.) Hitler is revered as a hero in school textbooks in Gujarat. In Modi, those who worship at that shrine seem to have found the type of leader they seek. Let's hope that the nation as a whole does not embrace his charismatic call to hate.