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Abstract
This dissertation names Cartesian binary logic underlying early childhood pedagogical encounters (Davies & Gannon, 2009) from my experiences with one early childhood education state standard and two lesson plans. Thinking with theory, I analyze these encounters with what feminist and decolonial scholar María Lugones calls non-modern philosophies in order to name how this logic connects to logics of control and domination. In the final chapter, (In)Conclusions, I explore possibilities for logics in ontologies of relationality instead of logics of separation and hierarchy and offer tools that could be used by teachers and teacher educators.
This dissertation is guided by the following research questions: 1) How is Cartesian logic operating in each pedagogical encounter? What might be its impacts? Towards what? For whom? 2) How is Cartesian logic connected to colonial logics? 3) What are some possibilities for living ethical relationality in pedagogical encounters?
In this study, pedagogical encounters are thought of not as teacher-centric designs but as moments having materialized through multiple dynamic (non)sentient forces. “Thinking with theory” (Jackson & Mazzei, 2012, 2013) is a research process that begins with theory and lets theory guide it. The theories that guide this research (e.g. René Descartes, Susan Bordo, María Lugones, Thích Nhất Hạnh, Karen Barad) emerged through material-discursive forces in my experiences in different spaces (e.g. graduate school early childhood education and feminist theory courses; reading on my own). These theories guide my inquiry and analyses of the pedagogical encounters’ underlying assumptions of colonial, hegemonic logic and guide exploration of intra-being pedagogical possibilities or pedagogy assuming always already existing logics of relationality. I do this as an abolition and justice project-- a moment to moment practice-stance of naming and abolishing hegemonic practices in early childhood education with the goal of naming and living more ethical practices for our reciprocal well-being for all of us in our interdependent relations.
This dissertation is guided by the following research questions: 1) How is Cartesian logic operating in each pedagogical encounter? What might be its impacts? Towards what? For whom? 2) How is Cartesian logic connected to colonial logics? 3) What are some possibilities for living ethical relationality in pedagogical encounters?
In this study, pedagogical encounters are thought of not as teacher-centric designs but as moments having materialized through multiple dynamic (non)sentient forces. “Thinking with theory” (Jackson & Mazzei, 2012, 2013) is a research process that begins with theory and lets theory guide it. The theories that guide this research (e.g. René Descartes, Susan Bordo, María Lugones, Thích Nhất Hạnh, Karen Barad) emerged through material-discursive forces in my experiences in different spaces (e.g. graduate school early childhood education and feminist theory courses; reading on my own). These theories guide my inquiry and analyses of the pedagogical encounters’ underlying assumptions of colonial, hegemonic logic and guide exploration of intra-being pedagogical possibilities or pedagogy assuming always already existing logics of relationality. I do this as an abolition and justice project-- a moment to moment practice-stance of naming and abolishing hegemonic practices in early childhood education with the goal of naming and living more ethical practices for our reciprocal well-being for all of us in our interdependent relations.