Restricting freedom

Where is that fine line that separates the appropriate from the inappropriate? “[W]ho controls the conditions under which culture is represented and alienated?” (Comaroff and Comaroff, 2009: 24)

Although it is a vague term, creativity conveys the idea of freedom in the expression of ideas; however, it is also defined by the originality and appropriateness of the idea. In the art world, societies have always questioned the appropriateness. But if appropriateness is questioned and artists reinvent themselves to stay within societal expectations… is it still creative if the ‘freedom of expression’ component has been compromised?

Bill Henson is an Australian photographer who has worked with landscape and pre pubescent teenagers for decades. Henson’s subject matter has caused many conflicts but none were as controversial or as publicized as his 2008 show at the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Paddington. The police seized his work and Henson was accused of child pornography. Although accusations were dropped, new laws were passed where artists must pay the Commonwealth Classification to insure against prosecution if they create images of nude children (Taylor. A, 2012).

Personally, I still feel unsteady about the use of nude children in works, however, my main concern in this blog questions why the 2008 exhibition was targeted? As previously mentioned, he has used this subject matter for decades and sparked little conflict. After, in his 2010 show (also in Roslyn Oxely9 Gallery), where his collection consisted of fewer nudes, it sparked different opinions.

 “He ignited controversy- now he’s ditching it.”- Miranda Devine, 2010

 “It very different from last time…They were almost all nudes last time … he should have stuck to his guns and gone against the critics.” – Jilly Gibson -2010 Mayor of North Shore. (Devine,2010)

So how does this relate to education??

Creativity has been incorporated into many areas of the NSW school curriculum, whether it may be a group project creating an enzyme reaction experiment, performing a play or writing a story.

Artists create from outside the box but are hindered by societal expectations. Students are “encouraged to consider issues from many angles (Kenway and Bullen, 2001: 128),” but are often hindered by the need to fulfill certain government requirements and exams.

Therapeutic culture or your true authentic self is detrimental to society (Hall et al., 2003). In an educational sense, creative projects that do not meet the standards risk lower marks and the possible degradation of a school’s academic identity. The NSW school curriculum can be seen as the traditional culture, suppressing true self-expression in order to retain an appropriate society or good academic standing. In doing so teachers may teach to the test and students appropriate their thoughts to meet expectations the same way Henson subconsciously included less nudes in his 2010 exhibition.

References

Comaroff, J.L. & Comaroff, J. (2009). Ethnicity, Inc. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Chapter 3: Questions of theory.

Devine, M. (2010) He ignited controversy- now he's ditching. Sydney Morning Herald, [online] 7th May. Available at: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/he-ignited-controversy--now-hes-ditching-it-20100506-ugwm.html [Accessed: 13th September, 2012].

Hall, J.R., Neitz, M.J. & Battani, M. (2003). Sociology on culture. London: Routledge. Chapter 2: Culture, self and society

Kenway, J. & Bullen, (2001). Consuming children: Education-Entertainment-Advertising. Buckingham: Open University Press. Chapter 5: Designer schools, packaged students.

Taylor, A. (2012) Henson delivers a fresh body blow in latest show. Sydney Morning Herald, [online] 13th september. Available at: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/henson-delivers-a-fresh-body-blow-in-latest-show-20120912-25ss5.html [Accessed: 13th September, 2012].

Part 2: More Than Tolerance - The Thought Police Telling Kids Heterosexuality’s not the norm

                Miranda Devine – having reported about the controversy raised by the “Proud Schools” program (see Part 1), blogged her own thoughts in her article titled, The thought police telling kids heterosexuality’s not the norm, on October 16^th – the Daily Telegraph.

                An issue that was I myself confronted in part 1, is Miranda worded accurately in her blog, “So now it’s a thought crime to regard heterosexuality as the norm in human relationships.” Miranda holds the view that the program hold’s alternative motives than those it acclaims to: when she says, “A disturbing picture emerges of a program that appears designed more for indoctrination and propaganda than to eliminate bullying”. Miranda raises the concern that by falsely claiming that violence and bullying is directly related to sexuality may have negative repercussions – it could “even send a message that bullying for other reasons is not as bad.” Finally, she asserts a frustration of parents being stripped the control to monitor the development of their child’s/children’s identity/ies, “But they (parents) don’t expect that their values should be subverted by homosexual or any other propaganda.”

                Does the program do this though? Does it go beyond its claims of providing a safer environment for all students – by increasing tolerance and respect between heterosexual and non-heterosexual students? Does it use propaganda to influence the development of the identity of young people? To answer such questions, I turn to Christina Ho.[i]

                Christina holds firm that schools are “crucial sites for the facilitation of intercultural exchange” (in this case intersexual exchange?); however she recognises that “it is unreasonable to expect an absence of conflict in diverse settings” and assures that “conflict and hostility can exist alongside a politics of respect for the presence of others.” [ii] She therefore opposes the push on ‘getting to know one another’ from different religious and cultural values in hopes that ‘harmony’ will be achieved by learning ‘what we have in common’; there are other approaches of managing cultural differences. [iii]

By just leaving people alone – allowing them to “simply inhabit space without interference can be a powerful form of recognition and respect” (Tonkiss 2003, van Leeuwen 2010).”[iv] She stresses that the development of one’s own identify it is critical to acknowledge the difference of others. Lastly, Christina refers to a quote by Nandy, of a human “right to dislike and keep a distance from one’s (anothers)* own community” while “granting them a place in the sun” (2002: 160).”

                So in summary, the school is valued as an intercultural exchange that facilitates young people with the ability to respect one another – without the need to, in this case, shun heterosexuality. Heterosexuals should be given the freedom to oppose homosexuality yet they should accept (within boundaries) and respect (leave them alone) homosexuals as equals within society. And, finally, by demanding ‘harmony’ between heterosexuals and homosexuals may hinder an individual’s development of their identity – “Closing off potential encounters with difference artificially restricts experiences, options and alternatives in the formation of one’s identity, and this is all the more acute for young people.”[v]

Therefore I conclude that the program demands more than tolerance, and the view that it is somewhat propaganda of non-heterosexuality is justifiable

- Megan Ayre

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[i]Christina Ho (2011): Respecting the Presence of Others: School Micropublics and Everyday Multiculturalism, Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32:6, 603-619. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2011.618106

[ii] Christina Ho (2011), pg 613-614: Respecting the Presence of Others: School Micropublics and Everyday Multiculturalism, Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32:6, 603-619. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2011.618106

[iii] Christina Ho (2011), pg 614: Respecting the Presence of Others: School Micropublics and Everyday Multiculturalism, Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32:6, 603-619. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2011.618106

 [iv] Christina Ho (2011), pg 614: Respecting the Presence of Others: School Micropublics and Everyday Multiculturalism, Journal of Intercultural Studies, pg. 614

[v]Christina Ho (2011), pg 614: Respecting the Presence of Others: School Micropublics and Everyday Multiculturalism, Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32:6, 616

Part 1: More than just Tolerance? 

                On October 17, The Daily Telegraph’s printed the Miranda Devine exclusive, Being Straight No Longer Normal, Students Taught. In the article she discusses the “Proud Schools” pilot program, which has been introduced into twelve NSW schools - implemented by Education Minister Adrian Piccoli and its opposition from MP Fred Nile.

                The Program is based on research conducted by LaTrobe University – which suggests that the majority of homophobic abuse and violence occurs within the school fence. The program was “designed to stamp out homophobia, transphobia (the fear of transsexuals) and heterosexism.”[i] (Here heterosexism is referred to as the classification of heterosexuality as the ‘norm’ for human relationships.) The program involves providing professional development to teachers to assure a supportive and safe learning environment for all students, by “ignoring, making invisible or discriminating against non-heterosexual people, their relationships and their interests; heterosexism feeds homophobia.”[ii]

                Fred Nile accuses the program of being “propaganda” and promises to raise such “brainwashing of high school students” in parliament for reconsideration. Mr. Nile says it will only cause more confusion among the young teens who already struggle to develop themselves in their years of puberty.

                There are many areas of discussion when such controversy is raised – but I’ll restrict myself to briefly discuss the topic of tolerance. So, what is tolerance? Sadly tolerance does not have a straight definition. In ethics and philosophy, however, tolerance is generally defined as “an individual virtue, issuing from and respecting the value of moral autonomy and acting as a sharp rein on the impulse to legislate against morally or religiously repugnant beliefs and behaviours.”[iii] In this sense, tolerance can be considered as acknowledging that each person has the freedom, autonomy, to construct their own set of moral values – and if those values do not correspond to our own values we owe it to them to un-judgingly accept their choices. That isn’t to say that this is unconditional acceptance, but within certain boundaries – we accept it; put up with it: this is an element of tolerance.[iv]

                Embracing these definitions of tolerance, the “Proud School” program can be found to aim for something more than tolerance – by shunning what it calls heterosexism. If racism is the act of degrading another’s race, then shouldn’t the true definition of heterosexism be the degradation of a non-heterosexual’s sexuality? Then referring to someone as a heterosexist because they conceptualise heterosexuality as the default sexual orientation, when acclaiming-ly (according to the La Trobe University Research) over 97% of people are heterosexual, is by definition - wrong. To strive to change one’s state of mind – that’s more than tolerance. To condemn a student on how they identify the world – is an attack on their values and morals. Ironically – this is exactly what the program is trying to eliminate.

Megan Ayre

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*parentheses my own
[i] Miranda Devine (Being Straight no longer normal, students taught)

[ii] What the Program Constitutes

[iii] Brown (2008:8)

[iv] G. Huge (1999: 89)

Can You Have Your Cake and Eat it Too?

Monolingual Australia

This blog shadows my first blog post, “Politics – It all comes down to Politics!” – looking further into linguistics in secondary schooling. I discuss the advantages and disadvantages of increasing the level of high school students studying foreign languages.

On October 7^th, 2012, The Age released the article – “French? Italian? It's all double Dutch to many”. The article features Clara Haberberger – a VCE linguistics student. The article delivers the value she finds in multilingualism, “Learning another language doesn't just mean you can communicate in another language - it means you are also absorbing another culture and learning to understand other people and where they are coming from.”[i] This can barely be argued – learning another language does benefit an individual in many aspects – it is not just acquisition of the language, but the culture and history that accompanies it; learning a second language also offers great cognitive development which is believed to aid in the acquisition of a third, fourth, etc. language.

Clara classes Australians as having a monolingual mindset – “There seems to be the attitude that once you've got English under control, why do another language? Because English is the world language.” By this – she is raising a concern shared by the Australian Education system – and its politicians. The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians updated its goals in 2008, with its new demands stressing “the need to nurture an appreciation of and respect for social, cultural and religious diversity, and a sense of global citizenship”, followed by the need to become “Asia literate”, engaging and building strong relationships with Asia (MCEECDYA 2008: 4).”[ii] Hence a political push to introduce second languages into state schools is underway.

I would like to think that this ‘monolingual mindset’ is a result of Australia’s unique girt-by-sea-ness. It is understandable that many European schools provide their students with a secondary European language – and American schools teaching Spanish considering the close relations with South America, but Australia is different: there are no other countries physically boarding us.

This isn’t to suggest that we should stay this way – of course we as Australians would benefit greatly from picking up another language, but what language and at what price? Obviously a lot of hours are required to develop another language – so how would it fit into the 9am-3pm school day? This means classes will have to be cut short or have to be replaced entirely.

In the article, Clara points to the focus on science and mathematics as the reason why the languages have been neglected. This assumption is on well grounds with Julia Gillard promising that by 2020 “Australia should be among the leaders in reading, science and maths and for providing high quality and high equity education” (presumably – the top 5)[iii]

So what will it be, government? Will you choose the languages or the sciences? We know that after all your decisions stream from the best interests of the economy – so what will take precedence – they both offer great economical benefits!?

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[i] http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/french-italian-its-all-double-dutch-to-many-20121006-276gz.html

[ii] Christina Ho (2011). Respecting the Presence of Others: School Micropublics and Everyday Multiculturalism, Journal of Intercultural Studies. Pg. 605

[iii] Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/pm-pledge-for-top-five-school-spot-20120902-258k5.html#ixzz29FcYBSzg

Politics - It All Comes Down to Politics!

Politics - It all comes down to Politics!

On October 7^th, 2012 – The Sydney Morning Herald released the article, Minding your language a virtual reality. The article addresses the ‘dilemma’ of state school students not learning a second language in school – with the current Victorian levels of almost 60% of state students currently not undertaking a second-language course. The article tell a promise for change by Ted Baillieu, the Premier of Victoria - “a language revival - in which every Victorian student up to year 10 would be required to take on a language by 2025, starting with prep in 2015”; the restrictions of state education staff capacities to achieve this goal; and the Victorian government’s modern way of creatively overcoming such an obstacle – using of virtual classrooms.[i]

My initial thoughts of the article were steered towards the ‘dilemma’ – what makes it so necessary for Australian state students to learn alternative languages: is it apart of our culture to embrace multiculturalism? And if it is such a crisis, why can’t the government employ the graduates required to provide each state school with the staff necessary to teach these languages, instead, for example the of sharing one teacher among eight schools to provide language classes through videoconferencing (as mentioned in the article). But then I took a closer look – its politics! All of it - pure politics, and this I will explain with the help of Leonardo.[ii]

So, let me start with Martin Dixon - a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly  and currently serving as the Minister of Education. The article quotes him saying, “ We've got to set the scene in terms of convincing the community about the importance of learning another language.” Keep in mind that this push follows his return from a trade mission to China; his focus of course on improving the proficiency of young people in Mandarin. This would definitely benefit the students on an individual level – introducing them to another culture and by broadening their horizons, to be clique. But is that his desired effect? Is he not trying to increase the chances to connect on an international trading level through the use of language; to boost the economy – such an idea runs parallel with what Leonardo says, that “the role and status of culture: deemed secondary and an effect of the base, superstructural features, like family, church and education, became significant but not determining aspects of history and struggle. They were depicted as ideological fields where cultural processes bear the imprints of the economy.” [iii]

So his input, purely economically minded; purely political, but not entirely unrelated to culture. It is suggested that culture is branded by the economy - “economics may not be the root of social process but rather its destiny, its final resting place. It may not be the cause but an effect of social processes.”[iv] So while Mr. Dixon’s motives stem from being economically minded they greatly influence cultural political decisions in education.

Now let’s take a closer look at the intentions of Mr. Baillieu! Under what circumstances did he commit to such a demanding promise? – That’s right: in his pre-election speech (of course). So, it is also evident that he had some political motivation’s driving his actions too.

By evaluating the motives of these two influential political men that steer the reins of our state schools,  the economy should be recognised as a driving force behind cultural politics – which is considered as a “the production of meaning” as opposed to “means of production.”  So, although the state education system might be the subject, cultural politics and the economy guide what is ‘important’ in our schools.

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[i] http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/minding-your-language-a-virtual-reality-20121006-27681.html

[ii] Z. Leonardo (2010). Affirming Ambivalence, Introduction to Cultural Politics and Education. Pg. 1

[iii]Z. Leonardo (2010). Affirming Ambivalence, Introduction to Cultural Politics and Education. Pg. 1

[iv]Z. Leonardo (2010). Affirming Ambivalence, Introduction to Cultural Politics and Education. Pg. 10

Creating a cosmopolitan society through Technology and Education

In “Education and its cosmopolitan possibilities” (2008) Rizvi discusses the impact and changing patterns which globalisation has had in creating a cosmopolitan society and the role it has played in education and the student learning process. The 21^st century has been famous for its rise in technological advancements and creations which has altered and changed the lives of people all around the world. Information communication technologies (ICTS) have played a major role in this change, for example with the I-phone revolutionising the social, cultural and economic way of life. ICT’S have also shortened the gap of time and space as students can interact and converse with students from all over the world without travelling or using the phone. As students can now communicate with other students from all over the world it increases their cross- cultural understanding and mutual respect for different ethnicities, religions and practises allowing them to be more accepting , creating what Rizvi   (2008) describes as “cosmopolitan learning” (p.111). The high speed of internet access has excelled trade and communication activities across international boundaries, and as a result people are more connected now than ever before providing as Rizvi notes, cultural knowledge and exchange.  With this view in mind, education methods have changed over the years with teachers using technology as a source of both instruction and communication for their students, for example in my high school we used email to converse with teachers if we had any questions or issues.  “Students left to their own devices” by Lina Morris ( SMH, 8/10/12) talks about the ‘electronic scratchpad’ called the boogie board tablet which is used as an alternative to paper in helping children with poor muscle control in improving their handwriting skills and spelling. Morris describes the boogie board tablet as a cheap technological educative tool which motivates and engages young learners; it helps share ideas and promotes collaborative learning and group work. The boogie board tablet is an example of the increasing use of technological tools in education which if teachers use responsibly and usefully can enhance the quality of education. Teachers should not use technological tools without any purpose or aim; it becomes a quality tool if it creates a positive learning environment such as forming new ways of communication and understanding amongst peers which will help promote the importance of a cosmopolitan society (Rizvi, 2008 p. 107).

To conclude I want to note the importance which technology has had in improving education as it has introduced new methods of learning such as that described by Morris ( SMH, 8/10/12) that can enable students to build a cosmopolitan society through accepting the new and the unfamiliar and listening and tolerating the ideas and beliefs of others.  Rizvi illustrates “Kant’s view of cosmopolitanism thus implies a particular form of moral education, designed to teach students the universalism of moral theory and understanding” (2008, p. 106). This quote symbolises the importance which technology has had in advancing a cosmopolitan society as cross national and cultural interaction has provided students with the knowledge of how to communicate and respond to people of various traditions and customs, for example what is a morally appropriate or inappropriate topic of conversation. As people from over the world can learn to understand and respect another’s customs and beliefs and also learn to share commonalities it will build a cosmopolitan society.

On the other hand I must point out that although ICTs have been positive in developing cross-national understanding and respect it can also have negative effects such as helping political uprisings or protests ( Rizvi , 2008 p 101) . Social media sites such as Facebook can also be places for people to bully, verbally abuse and start fights which places pressures on schools to monitor, block and restrict access to these sites in classrooms. However some schools cannot afford the high costs of the monitoring instalments and programs which emphasises inequality between the rich and poor schools. In saying this, the government should fund and distribute these programs to schools who cannot afford it (SMH, 8/10/12).

The constructive and effective use of education technology tools revolutionise the teaching and learning for students, enabling and educating them to use ICTs appropriately outside of school which will help them create a cosmopolitan society as they engage in cultural, social, political and economic exchange with people and nations all around the world.

• Reid, C & Sriprakash, A. The possibility of cosmopolitan learning: Reflecting on the future directions for diversity teacher education in Australia. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 40 (1), 15-29, 2012.
• Rizvi, F. (2008). Education and its cosmopolitan possibilities in B. Lingard, J. Nixon & S. Ranson ( eds.), Transforming learning in schools and communities: the remaking of education for a cosmopolitan society (pp. 101-116). London: Continuum
• Wadham, B. Pudsey, J .Boyd, R. Culture and education, Pearson Education Australia, Chapter 1: What is culture? pp. 1-33
• Morris, L, The Sydney Morning Herald, October 8^th 2012, Students left to their own devices: while technology could revolutionise learning, budget constraints are impeding its intake: accessed on the 13^th of October 2012.  http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/students-left-to-their-own-devices-20121007-277h7.html

Creating mutual respect and understanding in Education for a cosmopolitan society

The education policies and curriculum needs to suit the changes which occur in the 21^st century especially the large increase of diversity. Australia is regarded as one of the most multicultural countries in the world and as noted by Reid and Sriprakash there has been an increase in the diversity among student teachers who represent the changing communities in western Sydney. In saying this it is clear that diversity is increasing and there are larger cultural and ethnic differences between children and teachers in education now than in the past. In order to create a cosmopolitan society as the article expresses, education policies need to focus on human rights rather than group rights (Reid, C & Sriprakash, A , 2012, p. 19). This means that multicultural schools with diverse backgrounds should focus on educating the students of acceptance and mutual respect for others regardless of their social status, their race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Teachers need to cater to children of all ethnicities and backgrounds and the teacher training programs need to recognize the increasing diversity among teachers and should train them to identify similarities and things they have in order to create a understanding and cosmopolitan society.

 The Prince Albert daily herald local news on the 30^th of September issued Matt Gardeners headline “Tapestrama promotes diversity and understanding” which explores the idea of different cultures working and coming together to unite and understand as a community. Gardner comments on the beauty of cultures intercepting to gain an educative experience and become accepting of each other’s values and beliefs, something which has often distanced people from another due to either fear of integration and separation from their own culture. “Even my class, for example last session I had a Chinese women helping a Pakistani women learn how to drive.. the culture might be different but the experience is the same”(paherald, September 2012), this quote illustrates that although people can come from different backgrounds there are commonalities which can exist between them and similar life experiences that can unite them such as sharing or enjoying the same food, family life, residence or religion . 

In turn, a diverse school can create a positive environment if people can learn to live and understand one another which are vital attributes in this increasing multicultural society we live in. Education is the starting point to this success and if students can learn from their teachers how to communicate and identify common interests or beliefs with people who might appear different, it will build social and cultural harmony and form a cosmopolitan environment in which instead of diversity dividing people it will bring them together through what they share in interest and what they can learn from another.  .

If people can let go of their fear towards change and can learn to become more accepting of new things, for example if students learn to accept change in high school, through different subjects each year with different peers and learning to accept the positive changes they can bring to their lives then it will help create a hybrid society. In saying this, it will benefit not only the students in their future prospects but in all domains of life.

•  Reid, C & Sriprakash, A. The possibility of cosmopolitan learning: Reflecting on the future directions for diversity teacher education in Australia. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 40 (1), 15-29, 2012.
• M Gardner, Prince Albert Daily Herald (paherald) Local News, “Tapestrama promotes diversity and understanding”. September 30^th, 2012 : http://www.paherald.sk.ca/Local/News/2012-09-30/article-3086829/Tapestrama-promotes-diversity-and-understanding/1