Ethics of Care: Theory Into Practice—Challenges and Rewards

Session Submission Type: Invited Session

Abstract

As Noddings and others argue, the ethics of care should be central to our educational endeavors in schools, and should form the lens through
which teachers shape their practice and their interactions with students. However, despite educators' good intentions, there are
challenges to care; for example, multicultural interpretations, socio-economic differences, teachers' misrecognition, psychological
impediments and institutional impediments. This symposium highlights the findings from collaborative research conducted in British Columbia schools between academics at Simon Fraser University and 14 teachers and school administrators who sought to better understand and enact the ethics of care in their respective schools. This research is documented in an award-winning DVD entitled, Dare to Care: Transforming Schools Through the Ethics of Care, a portion of which will be shown during our presentation as a way to visually demonstrate some of the issues we grappled with on our individual and collective
journeys towards a caring ethic. During the discussion that follows, each presenter will highlight a particular perspective or challenge,
based on this research, or on subsequent research that flowed from this study.

Sub Unit

• AERA Sessions

Chair

• Ann Chinnery, Simon Fraser University

Participant

• Christie Whitley, Yukon Ministry of Education

Papers

• Walking the Talk: The Challenges of Enacting Care Ethics - Kumari Beck, Simon Fraser University

• Care-Consciousness and Enabling Conditions of Care - Heesoon Bai, Simon Fraser University

• Engaging Marginalized Students Through the Ethics of Care - Wanda E.M. Cassidy, Simon Fraser University

• Caring for "the Other" When You Are Not "the Other" - Kel McDowell, West Vancouver School District

Discussant

• Nel Noddings, Stanford University