How and Why do We Disturb? Challenges and Possibilities of Pedagogy of Hope in Socially Just Pedagogies

Abstract

In this paper, some of my experiences and reflections of teaching undergraduate social psychology and critical social psychology courses at an institution of higher learning are shared. The orientation is a critical social psychology pedagogy that has entailed an active engagement in teaching practices that both disturb common sense and taken-for-granted assumptions and analysis of the social world. In keeping with Bell hooks and Paulo Freire’s notions around a pedagogy of hope, the possibilities for learning, re-engaging the social in the classroom as a way of training students to question both the composition and re-enactments of this social world are discussed. And yet, these possibilities for engaging socially just pedagogy are also fraught with tensions, challenges and constraint. Most notably, how do we engage the, often, affective disturbances that accompany moments/practices of disturbance? It is argued that socially just pedagogies must, in the end, strive to incorporate the affective domain, both in the formative and summative processes of teaching and learning. In this paper, I discuss some of my experiences and reflections of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in critical diversity literacy and psychology at an institution of higher learning. My orientation in a critical social psychology pedagogy has entailed an active engagement in teaching practices that both disturb common sense and taken-for-granted assumptions and analysis of the social world. In keeping with Bell hooks and Paulo Freire’s notions around a pedagogy of hope, I discuss the possibilities for learning, re-engaging the social in the classroom as a way of training students to question both the composition and re-enactments of this social world. And yet, these possibilities for engaging socially just pedagogy are also fraught with tensions, challenges, and constraint. Most notably, how do we engage the often-affective disturbances that accompany moments/practices of disturbance? It is my contention that socially just pedagogies must, in the end, strive to incorporate the affective domain, both in the formative and summative processes of teaching and learning.