Enabling Students' Voices and Identities - by Arie Kizel (Hardcover)

About the Book

One of the challenges educational systems are facing today worldwide is enabling children's voices from silenced, marginalized, and excluded groups. This book analyzes the challenge of various identities and their uniqueness within childhood and offers theoretical and pedagogi...

Book Synopsis

One of the challenges that educational systems are facing worldwide is enabling the voices of children from silenced, marginalized, and excluded groups to be heard in communities of philosophical inquiry. Children from unprivileged socioeconomic sectors or minorities, and whose narrative is not in accord with that of the dominant mainstream narrative, often feel uncomfortable expressing their feelings, experiences, and mostly their authentic philosophical questions during communities of philosophical inquiry. They prefer not to raise the questions from their identity perspective. Even if they are friendly, such communities of inquiry are governed--even if implicitly--by the hegemonic meta-narrative. This book addresses the challenges of authentic inclusion of these children and their identities/narratives. Arie Kizel analyzes both how discourse about multiple identities and narratives can enrich the theoretical foundations of philosophy for/with children, as opposed to the sterile banking and normalizing education, and the challenge of various identities and their uniqueness within childhood in order to offer theoretical and pedagogical-educational solutions within philosophy for and with children. This book furthers our understanding of dialogical inquiry, particularly within a pluralistic environment that explicitly promotes democratic culture.

Review Quotes

"Ultimately our capacity to dialogue will determine not only the quality of our future, but if we have a future. Being able to dialogue so that others are not reticent to speak is a dying art that will survive only if educators make a concerted effort to revitalize it. This author is to be commended not only for prompting educators to do just that, but also for offering guidelines as to how best to do it. In a world in which hate and intolerance is on the rise, this book is a genuine gift." --Dr. Susan T. Gardner, professor of philosophy, Capilano University, North Vancouver, Canada; director, The Vancouver Institute of Philosophy for Children

"This book addresses an important issue that has so far received too little attention, namely how it is possible to design philosophizing with children as an inclusive setting in which all children, regardless of their different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, can contribute their voice and be heard. This is often assumed in theory, but the fact that it does not always succeed in practice has not yet been problematized enough. The text provides both the theoretical background knowledge required to discuss the issue and offers important insights into exclusionary structures and mechanisms as well as practical ways of making philosophizing more inclusive." --Kerstin Michalik, University of Hamburg

"In a world of increasing tension and conflict, Kizel's book is a necessity. Not only does it provide an educational and dialogical space for children to ask their own questions and articulate their own identities, but it also powerfully demonstrates the indispensable role that philosophy can play in complex social environments. Educational research in general, and critical pedagogy in particular, can only afford to ignore Kizel's work at their own peril." --Tomaz Grusovnik, University of Primorska

""Getting children from underprivileged and minority communities to engage in philosophical discussions can present facilitators with a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Kizel provides excellent guidance in how to successfully accomplish this task in his insightful book. A must read for anyone working with children from diverse backgrounds."" --Thomas Wartenberg, Professor of Philosophy, Mt. Holyoke College

About the Author

Arie Kizel is professor of philosophy of education at the Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Israel