Healing Knowledge: Power, Pain, and Intergenerational Healing in Learning Theories

• In Event: Origin Theories of Learning: Recentering Indigenous Strategies of Learning and Life in Comparative and International Education

Proposal

As a core focus of inquiry in education research, theories of learning have gained increased attention in the field of comparative and international education (CIE). More recent trends have shifted towards sociocultural (e.g., Ladson-Billings, 1995) and sociopolitical (e.g., Politics of Learning Writing Collective, 2017) approaches that underscore the importance of social and cultural contexts, as well as power structures, in shaping learning. These perspectives enable the philosophical and methodological assumptions that inform research on learning theories, emphasizing the role of educational research as a tool for social justice. This paper delves into the concept of difficult knowledge and the restorative approach, exploring how learning can serve not only as a tool for change but also for collective healing.

Theory
In this literature review, we first explore difficult knowledge as a concept to uncover nuances within origin theories and the forms of reconciliation that are required when examining origin theories of learning from lenses of power and hegemony. Specifically, we drew on Britzman's (2000) concept of difficult knowledge to explore the emotional labor required from learners when working on sensitive issues of power and privilege in both self-reflection and interpersonal relations. When we look at the emotional aspects of learning, it is also important to recognize the potential for joy and love, as Black feminist scholars remind us (hooks, 2000).
Then, we dig into the restorative approach in conjunction with feminist relational theories. It highlights people’s connectedness in all directions as a resource for making harmonies and “fostering human flourishing” (Llewellyn & Llewellyn, 2015, p. 17). This approach recognizes that learning, to which we also add liberation, is not a linear process starting from ignorance. Ellsworth (1997) mentioned a few steps that may vividly explain such a process: “substitutions, displacements, dreams, and slips of the tongue” (p. 64). Learning and teaching with a restorative approach entails covering conscious and subtle aspects within and beyond the classroom setting.
Thus, we propose having restorative dialogues that value coexistence and harmony. Such dialogues examine underneath the power coding of the dominators and raise critical consciousness for empathy (Belenky et. al., 1986; Collins, 2000; Tuck & Yang, 2014). In those dialogues, we privilege knowledge from alternative epistemologies, which “challenge (s) certified knowledge and open(s) up the question of whether what has been taken to be true can stand the test of alternative ways of validating truth” (Collins, 2000, p. 271). Finally, informed by the definition of healing in Indigenous research, we discuss manifestations beyond colonial narration (Urrieta, 2019).

Significances
This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse discussion about learning theories in CIE, focusing on the nuanced aspects of power. We investigated the origin theories of healing, examining what healing spaces look like, how we can reach them, the role of intergenerational healing, and the recognition of pain that difficult knowledge demands. Lastly, by focusing on the relational and emotional dimensions, this research offers new pathways for addressing historical, systemic, and epistemic violence in educational research.

Authors

• Yilin Wei, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Xun Yu, Univ. of Minnesota