1 Hinterland of Voice Denise Batchelor London South Bank University

2 Definitions Hinterland the back country, the district lying behind the land the back country, the district lying behind the land along the coast. along the coast. Student voice: 3 dimensions 1. a voice for knowing, or epistemological voice, 2. a voice for doing, or practical voice, 3. a voice for being and becoming, or ontological voice.

3 Hinterland: Student Voice Relationship STUDENT VOICE idioms of ideals ideals vocabularies of values

4 Anthony Grayling, 2001:36 ‘you discover more about people when you learn about their hopes than when you count their achievements, for the best of what we are lies in what we hope to be.’ ‘you discover more about people when you learn about their hopes than when you count their achievements, for the best of what we are lies in what we hope to be.’

5 Structure 1. Retrospective of past project 2. Outline of 2 further projects 3. Characteristics of spaces, and qualities in listening

6 Becoming what you want to be Becoming what you want to be What does the process of becoming mean to you? What does the process of becoming mean to you?

7 Becoming who and what you want to be BECOMING RISK FAILED/ SUCCESSFUL GROWTH WITHERING FLOURISHING CHANGE UN EXPECTED NESS SURPRISECREATIVITYEXPERIMENT

8 Creating spaces to listen to students’ values and ideals Space for Voice Space for Voice Finding a Voice Finding a Voice

9 Some interpretations of the meaning of ideals 1. Ideals define the essential nature of persons, their identity 2. Ideals have a motivating or conative power 3. Aspirations are a person’s deepest desires: ‘they express the most intimate yearnings of the self, and they reflect most directly the values and indeed the very definition of the self as an enduring conative entity’ (Gewirth, 1998: 23) 4. Ideals are a person’s answer to the question of what his/her highest values are, what s/he finds most excellent 5. Ideals are navigation aids 6. Ideals give direction, inspiration and incentive to make something special of one’s life, or to lead a flourishing and meaningful life 7. Ideals are part of a person’s conception of the good life

10 Ideals and dreams as negatives ‘Ideals tempt a person to enter into a dream world instead of facing and dealing with reality.’ ‘Ideals tempt a person to enter into a dream world instead of facing and dealing with reality.’ De Ruyter, 2003, commenting on Iris Murdoch’s ‘The Bell’.

11 Ideals and dreams as positives David Halpin (2003) suggests that all utopias are driven by hope. The utopian impulse represents a form of positive, not negative, escapism. Halpin maintains that the function of utopias is to promote the consideration of imaginative alternatives. Utopias are positive imaginings which seek to relativise and offer a critique of the present by conjuring images of alternative futures. No matter how bad things appear, they can be envisaged differently and for the better. David Halpin (2003) suggests that all utopias are driven by hope. The utopian impulse represents a form of positive, not negative, escapism. Halpin maintains that the function of utopias is to promote the consideration of imaginative alternatives. Utopias are positive imaginings which seek to relativise and offer a critique of the present by conjuring images of alternative futures. No matter how bad things appear, they can be envisaged differently and for the better.

12 Qualitative Spaces CONNECTIVE SPACE Experimental space Critical & creative space Non- judgemental space Unmeasured space

13 Qualities in listening Worrying away at what is utterly familiar Worrying away at what is utterly familiar Sieving and filtering the well-known in order to know it afresh Sieving and filtering the well-known in order to know it afresh Silence Silence Openness Openness Thinking in the demanding sense Thinking in the demanding sense Awareness of the withdrawn/concealed Awareness of the withdrawn/concealed

14 ‘University is a kind of dream kingdom. ‘University is a kind of dream kingdom. Many people can make their dreams in Many people can make their dreams in university.’ university.’ Engineering postgraduate Engineering postgraduate

15 ‘Become what you want to be is a power, ‘Become what you want to be is a power, a power to make us do something strong a power to make us do something strong in our dreams…I think it’s like a power – in our dreams…I think it’s like a power – like a power to make us find our dream like a power to make us find our dream about the life…So what kinds of thing I must do for my dream.’ about the life…So what kinds of thing I must do for my dream.’ International Business postgraduate International Business postgraduate

16 Ultimate and Normal Ideals ULTIMATE IDEALS Images of excellence that are Flawless Flawless Unqualifiedly perfect Unqualifiedly perfect Unattainable Unattainable Unrealisable Unrealisable NORMAL IDEALS Images of excellence that are As perfect as we can As perfect as we can realistically expect to find realistically expect to find Attainable Attainable Realisable Realisable Aware of the possible Aware of the possible Imperfections of an Imperfections of an imagined excellence imagined excellence

17 3 PROJECTS Becoming what you want to be (2005) Finding a voice International postgraduates joining in semester two 2008/9 Space for voice First year undergraduates in their second semester of 2008/9