Rhizomatic Education: More Than Human "Others" as the Curriculum

• In Event: Poster session III
  In Poster Session: Poster session 3

Proposal

Education for sustainable development (ESD) aims to empower learners to reframe mindsets. With this poster presentation I would like to discuss the results of a game I designed that used rhizome concept (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987) as the framework to re-conceptualize ESD processes. A rhizome is a horizontal and non-hierarchical root system with no center and no defined boundary. It has semi-independent nodes, each of which is capable of growing and spreading on its own (Cormier, 2008). It can form multiplicities and thus can change, multiply or divide into other roots through complex encounters (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987). The rhizomatic view of the world considers interrelated assemblages of individuals and groups and includes: humans, non-humans, material resources, non-material resources (Tillmans et al, 2014). It is an alternative to more traditional, arborescent modes of education.

ESD was introduced within the mainstream discourse and was defined by the UNESCO, which lead to common guiding principles for ESD at a global level. There is a tendency towards prioritization of one aspect over the other. My aim is to present a novel and fluid understanding of the sustainability with no prioritization; and to discuss the purpose of education and the relationship between teachers and learners (Carp, 2013). ESD -within a rhizomatic perspective- can discuss education and sustainability connection as a distributed, interconnected, co-constructed and emancipatory process with a complex interplay of human-human others and human-nonhuman others (Tillmans et al, 2014).

The game I designed is called Doğa Arkadaşımın Kutusu, which translates best as “My Nature Friend's Box”. I match people, children and classes every equinox and thus every season in a 'Secret Santa' style random drawing, to put together an intricately prepared box of nature, by the way of leaves, seeds and stones and anything that inspires them from the flora and natural surroundings of the area in Turkey in which they reside. These boxes of artifacts of nature are then sent by post to the name 'drawn' along with a personal letter connecting people, children and families, and classes all over the country. It gives a chance to make a special connection with the “others”; others as different parts of the country (considering west is unknown to east and east is unknown to west, or known with stereotypes), others as people with different life views (religious, secular, vegan, etc.), others as the wildlife living in the city (scorpions, snakes, insects and spiders as the most unwanted, hedgehogs and martins as surprises, bumble bees, atalanta butterflies as the most wanted, trees, flowers, weeds, etc.). The curriculum was designed by more than human others and within one game season there were discussions on climate change, mass migration (of Syrians and of birds), refugees (Syrians and wild boars), consumptions, new economy models, commons, participation in decision-making, etc. There is no expert (teacher), there is no fixed curriculum, but there are different and complex encounters and becomings throughout the game.


Keywords: ESD, active participation, learner as teacher, nonhuman as teacher, encounters, rhizomatic education, becoming others,

Author

• Burcu Meltem ARIK AKYUZ, Education Reform Initiative