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Ableism and Individualism in Teacher Education: Eco-Critical Curriculum Studies for Interrupting the "Norms" and "Standards" of Pre-K–12 Education

Sun, April 19, 8:15 to 10:15am, Virtual Room

Abstract

This paper addresses often overlooked cultural assumptions embedded within neoliberalism; specifically, the researchers explore what ecofeminist Val Plumwood (2002) describes as centric thinking, leading to a logic of domination (Warren, 1990). The authors argue that social justice educators and activists who are committed to addressing ableism and individualism must take into consideration the ways in which a logic of domination undergirds the unjust and destructive social and economic ideologies and policies that constitute neoliberalism and status quo elementary education. The authors examine and share pedagogical moments from experiences in curriculum studies research and radical teacher education seeking to: 1) challenge and disrupt dualistic thinking; 2) interrupt perceptions of hegemonic normalcy—referring to a socio-cultural process by which actions, behaviors, and diverse ways of interpreting the world are perceived by dominant society as ‘fitting in’ and being socially acceptable (Warner, 2001); and, 3) contest false notions of independence—the degree to which an individual is perceived as able to meet their social and economic responsibilities on their own—as measures of success in schools and society. The authors detail how they work with(in) teacher education programs to introduce how an ecocritical approach, drawing from ecofeminist frameworks (Plumwood, 1993, 2002), identifies and examines the impacts of neoliberal policies and practices dominated by “free” market ideology (Harvey, 2005; Hursch, 2016; Martusewicz et al., 2015). The authors assert that educators, especially teacher educators in partnerships with radical environmental educators, can challenge harmful discourses that support the problematic neoliberal understandings about independence that inform Western cultural norms and assumptions. Concluding, the authors share a conceptualization for (un)learning the exploitation inextricable from the policies and practices of neoliberalism.

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