| CODE | EDE5010 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | The Ethics and Politics of the Ethics Class | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Education Studies | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit is aimed to help student teachers reflect on how they can act in an ethical way to create a pluralistic democratic environment in class. It will focus on 1) teachers of ethics as ethical practitioners and 2) the extent to which they use their power and responsibility to create democratic conversations. Critical issues that surround the teacher's pedagogical decisions include the possible expression of her own views or opinions in relation to certain controversial issues; instances when the teacher is justified to intervene during the ongoing discussion, the responsibilities to enhance the experiences of students and in presenting them with opportunities to discuss visions and ideas that are different from their own. Examples will be made through philosophical conversations in class that are difficult or impossible; such as when there are students in the classroom who have sexist, racist, homophobic or fundamentalist ideas, or who are disinclined to discuss and argue, who are intolerant. Using disagreement in class to enhance democratic spaces as well as the importance of transforming the ethics class into a hospitable space will be discussed. Student teachers will reflect on how to relate to students in such a manner that their differences are valued. Study-Unit Aims: The main aims of this study-unit are to help student teachers of ethics: - Reflect on their responsibilities in creating safe democratic pluralistic environments; - Think on how to create philosophical conversations that express different values and ideas; - Speak about their complex relationships with the students; - Discuss their roles in engaging with pedagogies of difference. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Outline the different political theories about democracy and democratic conversations; - Describe how to sustain fruitful and respectful pedagogical relations; - Examine the different ways in which conversations can develop within the ethics class; - Appraise the political and ethical complexities of the relationships between teachers and students in the ethics classroom; - Engage with pedagogies that aim to do away with disparities related to forms of 鈥榦thering鈥�. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Read the literature relevant to the ethics and politics of teaching ethics; - Problematize ideas about democracy in the ethics class; - Describe their personal experiences of teaching and learning ethics; - Express their own pedagogical practice in teaching ethics orally and in writing; - Explain how to make use of student diversities as educational resources for the ethics class. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Ahmed S. (2000) Strange Encounters. Embodied Others in Postcoloniality. London, Routledge. - Butler Judith (2015). Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly (Mary Flexner Lectures of Bryn Mawr College). Harvard University Press. - Card C.(1999) Feminist Ethics and Politics University Press of Kansas (1999). - Derrida J. (2005) The Principle of Hospitality, Parallax 11:1; 6-9. - Irigaray L ( 2002) Between East and West, New York Columbia University Press. - Irigaray L. (1993) An Ethics of Sexual Difference, Cornell University Press. - Jaggar A.J. (2013) Feminist ethics in (eds) La Follette H & Persson I.The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory Blackwell. - Mouffe C. (2000). Deliberative democracy or agonistic pluralism (Reihe Politikwissenschaft / Institut f眉r H枚here Studien, Abt. Politikwissenschaft, 72). Wien: Institut f眉r H枚here Studien (IHS), Wien. - Spivak G.C French Feminism Revisted : Ethics and Politics in Butler J & Scott J. Femnist Theorise tge Political. - Todd S. (2009) Toward an Imperfect Education. Boulder, Paradigm Publishers. Reading pack will be made available to students and will include the following articles amongst others: - Benhabib, S. (1995) Feminism and Postmodernism. In Feminist Contentions: A Philosophical Exchange, 17鈥�34. New York: Routledge Press. - Burbules, N. & Rice, S. (1991) Dialogue Across Differences: Continuing the Conversation. Harvard Educational Review. 61,4:393-416. - Jones A. (1999) The Limits of Cross Cultural Dialogue: pedagogy Desire and Absolution in the Classroom. Educational Theory, 49, 3: 299. - Galea, S. (2008) Can the Migrant Speak? Voicing Myself, Voicing the Other. Malta Review of Educational Research, 6 (1), 15-28. - Galea, S. (2013) Educating the Migrant Girl. A Politics of Difference. Malta Review of Educational Research, 7 (2). www.mreronline.org - Hand, M. and Levinson, R. (2012) Discussing Controversial Issues in the Classroom. Educational Philosophy and Theory. 44,6: 614-629. - Ruitenberg C. (2011) The Empty Chair. Education is an Ethic of Hospitality in Philosophy of Education. Robert Kunzman (ed) - Tronto J (2010) Creating Caring Institutions: Politics, Plurality, and Purpose, Ethics And Social Welfare, 4:2, 158-171. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Fieldwork | ||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Louise Chircop Simone Galea (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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