Power and Representation. Ethical issues in [researching] North-South study visits Study Visits Workshop University of Winchester 17/09/10 Fran Martin, University of Exeter, UK. 1

Some definitions North – South Global Educational Partnerships Study visits, study visit courses 2

Global Partnerships as Sites for Mutual Learning: teachers’ professional development through study visit courses Three year ESRC-funded project based at the Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter. October September 2012 Investigating two global partnerships between the UK – Gambia and UK – India Teachers’ learning and professional development through North-South study visit courses 3

Postcolonial theory Post-colonial / Postcolonial Theory ‘A critical approach to analysing colonialism and one that seeks to offer alternative accounts of the world’ (Sharp, 2009:4) Critique of Western knowledge systems: – Binary ways of thinking (them-us, rich-poor) – Hierarchical (superior-inferior) ‘Decolonisation of the mind’ (Sharp, 2009) 4

Postcolonial theory: core concepts Power – Binary ways of thinking set up oppositional and essential categories – Western discourse and Western academy at the centre of policy and practice Representation – Of whom? By whom? For what purposes? – Othering 5

Believe it or not, there are millions of children across Africa who’d love nothing more than to be given a ton of homework to do. That’s because getting homework would mean they’d be getting an education and that‘s their best chance of escaping the grinding poverty they face. (source Comic Relief website) 6

Political Social Educational Schools MDGs Economy Liberal ‘Fixing’ through aid Global citizens Ethic of ‘care’ Curriculum (Geography, citizenship) School Partnerships

Global Partnerships as Sites for Mutual Learning: teachers’ professional development through study visit courses “What impact do two North-South study visits have on teachers’ understanding of development issues and how does this inform their understanding of, and practice in, global partnerships?”. Strategic: How have two N-S partnerships developed and what context do they provide for educational study visits? – Two global partnerships: UK - Gambia & UK - India Pedagogic: What do teachers from both North and South learn about development and global issues from their involvement in study visits? – Two study visit courses: students, teachers and educators 8

UK Tide~ Development Education Centre Gambia National Environment Agency UK Canterbury Christ Church University India Goodwill Children’s Homes Mutual, intercultural learning UK PI and RF Gambian Researcher Indian Researcher 9

Learning from informal experiences: cooking Benachin UK-Gambian colleagues sharing ideas during joint conference Learning from formal experiences: beach replenishment scheme UK-UK group learning: follow up session on using photographs in the classroom 10

Positionality and reflexivity Importance of acknowledging influence of prior experiences on worldviews: previous baggage ‘Danger of a single story’, YouTube video by Chimamanda Adichie Research diary/Learning journal Meta reflection 11

Travelling – experiencing contrasting images Goodwill Homes, Thandigudi, - Being the teacher Kerala - Being the tourist 12

Representing ‘India’ Some students began to develop more complex ideas about representation of ‘India’ Student led discussion / reflective session – Examples of an image held before coming to India that has been dispelled Supported reflection … Study visits and study visit courses 13

Power relations Between me as ‘researcher’ and UK participants Between me as UK ‘researcher-participant’ and Gambian/Indian colleagues Between me as UK researcher and Gambian / Indian researchers Academic as ‘expert’ White persons’ privilege 14

Global Partnerships for Mutual Learning This North-South partnership is very unique. It is not a matter of one part giving and the other receiving. It 's a give-give, receive-receive mutual exchange between organisations, individuals and agencies, and in a sense is a model for sustainable development and bridging North-South... All partners contribute equally as nations, organisations, individuals. We have learnt a lot at an educational level, an environmental level, even a cultural diversity level. It is very important and we would nurture it at any cost. Ndey Bakurin, NEA 15

Concluding comments Postcolonial spaces for learning? Homi Bhabha and Third Space Lynn-Mario de Souza and Pedagogy of Dissensus Vanessa Andreotti and Through Other Eyes project 16

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