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“I Want to Be Ready!”:: Teaching Christian Education in the African American Experience

Yolanda Y. Smith

in Teaching African American Religions

This chapter introduces four teaching strategies that emerge from the characteristics of a triple-heritage model of Christian education that is grounded in the African American spirituals. The model ... More

This chapter introduces four teaching strategies that emerge from the characteristics of a triple-heritage model of Christian education that is grounded in the African American spirituals. The model consists of the following: communal, creative, critical, and cooperative. The teaching strategies that emerge from these characteristics include communal dialogue, creative engagement, critical reflection, and cooperative action. The chapter then discusses various aspects of a course called “Christian Education in the African American Experience” and details how these strategies have shaped and informed the teaching of the course. The primary purpose of this chapter is to examine the teaching/learning process that emerges throughout the course.Less

Increasing Control

John Kekes

in The Human Condition

The possibility of control over our actions is usually discussed in terms of the perennial and inconclusive dispute between determinists, libertarians, and compatibilists. This chapter makes a new ... More

The possibility of control over our actions is usually discussed in terms of the perennial and inconclusive dispute between determinists, libertarians, and compatibilists. This chapter makes a new start by defending a new version of the compatibilist view, called the variable approach, which rejects an assumption underlying all three of the traditional views. The question is not whether we have some control over our actions but whether we can increase the control we have. We can increase our control because we can correct our mistaken attitudes that lead to misguided actions.Less

The Question-Begging Nature of Kantian Critique: Kant on the Arguments of the Antinomies

Sally Sedgwick

in Hegel's Critique of Kant

This chapter relies on the foregoing interpretation of Hegel’s critique of Kant to demystify a particular Hegelian criticism, directed at specific Kantian argument: Kant’s treatment of the arguments ... More

This chapter relies on the foregoing interpretation of Hegel’s critique of Kant to demystify a particular Hegelian criticism, directed at specific Kantian argument: Kant’s treatment of the arguments of the antinomies. It is argued that in complaining of the question-begging nature of Kant’s treatment of the antinomies, Hegel’s aim is to convince us that the expectations Kant brings to his critical reflections cannot be met. In his consideration of the antinomies, Kant assumes he can achieve full awareness of his presuppositions and subject each of them to impartial review. He assumes that he can access a vantage point that is ‘external’ or wholly ‘independent’ from ‘common reality.’ Hegel defends a markedly different account of the nature of critical reflection. He denies that a fully external point of view is available to us: he doubts that any thinker can wholly overleap her age and achieve complete freedom from ‘common reality.’Less

Composing and Improvising

David J. Elliott

in Praxial Music Education: Reflections and Dialogues

In his 1995 book Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education, David Elliott argues that music is a form of intelligent action and knowledge. More specifically, he considers music (and the ... More

In his 1995 book Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education, David Elliott argues that music is a form of intelligent action and knowledge. More specifically, he considers music (and the other arts) as modes of thinking and knowing. This chapter examines Elliott's praxial philosophy on composition and improvisation in relation to two central themes: composing and improvising as intentional activities capable of engaging students in reflective musical thinking; and the processes and products of composing and improvising as inseparable from the contexts in which they are situated. The more promising conception of music in Elliott's praxial philosophy of music education is grounded in an awareness of the importance of critical reflection in (not merely about) human action. Elliott conceives music making (which, he insists, always involves listening) as unfolding “thoughtfully and knowingly” through the intentional actions of “selecting, deploying, directing, adjusting, and judging”. Elliott also contends that composing and improvising are “situated”, meaning that they should be taught in context.Less

Why Justification Matters

Declan Smithies

in Epistemic Evaluation: Purposeful Epistemology

This chapter is guided by the hypothesis that the point and purpose of using the concept of justification in epistemic evaluation is tied to its role in the practice of critical reflection. Section ... More

This chapter is guided by the hypothesis that the point and purpose of using the concept of justification in epistemic evaluation is tied to its role in the practice of critical reflection. Section one proposes an analysis of justification as the epistemic property in virtue of which a belief has the potential to survive ideal critical reflection. Section two uses this analysis to argue for a form of access internalism on which one has justification to believe a proposition iff one has higher-order justification to believe that one has justification to believe that proposition. Section three distinguishes between propositional and doxastic versions of access internalism and argues that the propositional version avoids familiar objections to the doxastic version. Section four argues that the propositional version of access internalism explains and vindicates internalist intuitions about cases. Section five concludes with some reflections on the relationship between critical reflection, responsibility, and personhood.Less

Afterword: Mastering Undergraduate Research

Ann Marie Leonard Chilton

in Teaching Undergraduate Research in Religious Studies

This chapter presents a student perspective on Undergraduate Research.

Building Organizational Supports for Research-minded Practitioners

Austin Michael and Sarah Carnochan

in Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model

Chapter 11 of Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model discusses issues and strategies related to providing organizational supports for practitioners in order to ... More

Chapter 11 of Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model discusses issues and strategies related to providing organizational supports for practitioners in order to facilitate their engagement in practice research. The chapter describes: (1) the emerging organizational context for evidence-informed practice and practice research; (2) an evolving definition of the elements of a research-minded practitioner, which include curiosity, critical reflection, and critical thinking; (3) a beginning framework for conceptualizing relevant organizational supports; and (4) case examples of organizational supports provided by national organizations in the United Kingdom. The chapter concludes with an emerging set of lessons learned and questions to guide future practice research efforts.Less

Reflections on freedom of information: past, present and future

Eithne FitzGerald, John Carroll, and Peter Tyndall

in Ireland and the Freedom of Information Act: FOI@15

Presents three critical reflections on the initial intentions, contemporary usage and possible evolution of FOI legislation in Ireland by three practitioners well placed to comment. This chapter ... More

Presents three critical reflections on the initial intentions, contemporary usage and possible evolution of FOI legislation in Ireland by three practitioners well placed to comment. This chapter combines the thoughts and ideas of Eithne FitzGerald, the original minister in charge and champion of FOI in Ireland; John Carroll, a former policy analyst and political adviser with experience of using the Act both in opposition and in government; and Peter Tyndall, the current FOI Information Commissioner and Ombudsman.Less

Stealthy Vices

Quassim Cassam

in Vices of the Mind: From the Intellectual to the Political

Stealthy vices, such as closed-mindedness, are epistemic vices that are inherently hard to detect because it is in their nature to block their own detection. This chapter defends the view that at ... More

Stealthy vices, such as closed-mindedness, are epistemic vices that are inherently hard to detect because it is in their nature to block their own detection. This chapter defends the view that at least some epistemic vices are stealthy and some are stealthier than others. The stealthiness of stealthy vices is explained on the basis that such vices negate or nullify the epistemic virtues on which active critical reflection on one’s own vices depends. The stealthiness of stealthy vices is the vice epistemological analogue of the Dunning-Kruger effect, but traumatic experiences can sometimes open one’s eyes to one’s own epistemic vices. In such cases one acquires self-knowledge by transformational insight rather than by active critical reflection.Less

Thinking and Belief

Soteriou Matthew

in The Mind's Construction: The Ontology of Mind and Mental Action

This chapter considers how the proposed account of the epistemology of mental action, and the proposed account of the self-knowledge involved in conscious thinking, bear on an account of one's ... More

This chapter considers how the proposed account of the epistemology of mental action, and the proposed account of the self-knowledge involved in conscious thinking, bear on an account of one's knowledge of what one believes. The chapter also explores some of the ways in which the ethics of belief, and accounts of the suspension of judgement and belief revision, may be affected by the fact that we are, as self-conscious subjects, capable of engaging in agential epistemic conscious mental activity, including self-critical reflection.Less

The Theological Pedagogy of Frantz Fanon and James Baldwin

Joseph Drexler-Dreis

in Decolonial Love: Salvation in Colonial Modernity

The ways Fanon and Baldwin live out orientations of decolonial provides an intellective praxis, epistemic framework, and content that can be “theologically pedagogic,” to use a term from Marcella ... More

The ways Fanon and Baldwin live out orientations of decolonial provides an intellective praxis, epistemic framework, and content that can be “theologically pedagogic,” to use a term from Marcella Althaus-Reid. Decolonial love, as an orientation by which to make sense of one’s place in the world and face up to reality, offers a way of understanding an encounter with a divine reality. As such, decolonial love provides a basis from which to expose idolatry and construct theological knowledge and images. This chapter first considers how decolonial love can inform a way of thinking theologically. Understanding decolonial love as a theologically pedagogic site that exceeds modern rationalities establishes the possibility to, in a second section of the chapter, situate a decolonized theological image of salvation within understandings of revelation and history shaped by decolonial love.Less

Understanding the dynamics of personal, professional and interprofessional ethics: a possible way forward

Divya Jindal-Snape and Elizabeth F.S. Hannah

in Exploring the dynamics of personal, professional and interprofessional ethics

This chapter summarises the common, as well as unique, themes emerging from the preceding chapters to explore the possible reasons behind any tensions between personal, professional and ... More

This chapter summarises the common, as well as unique, themes emerging from the preceding chapters to explore the possible reasons behind any tensions between personal, professional and interprofessional ethics. It uses the concepts of dynamic identities, environment and understandings of professionalism to highlight the possible reasons behind these tensions. It suggests a conceptual model to enable professionals to use critical reflection, reflexivity, spaces for learning in the work place, formal training, and open and honest dialogue to become an emotionally intelligent, resilient and ethically sensitive professional who can work in a variety of contexts and contribute effectively towards the creation of a healthy organisational culture and effective interprofessional working practices.Less

Reflection and Improvement of Teaching

Colleen M. Conway

in Teaching Music in Higher Education

Chapter 13 examines ways in which the new professor can collect information on teaching in the effort to continue to improve. A key tenant in learner-centered teaching is professor critical ... More

Chapter 13 examines ways in which the new professor can collect information on teaching in the effort to continue to improve. A key tenant in learner-centered teaching is professor critical reflection. The chapter suggests videorecording teaching, peer observation as well as teaching journals as strategies for reflection. A sample observation for music classroom is provided as are several sample forms for reflection. Collecting and interpreting feedback from students through midterm and final course evaluations is also considered. The chapter concludes with a focus on the types of resources typically provided by institutions to assist faculty in the improvement of teaching.Less

Teaching for Civic Engagement: Insights from a Two-Year Workshop

Melissa C. Stewart

in Teaching Civic Engagement

This chapter notes how a wide variety of teaching strategies were employed by the contributors to this book in an effort to encourage student civic engagement. This chapter categorizes and describes ... More

This chapter notes how a wide variety of teaching strategies were employed by the contributors to this book in an effort to encourage student civic engagement. This chapter categorizes and describes the array of teaching strategies referenced throughout the work. In general, five types of assignments were employed: media analyses, field trips, community-based learning projects, experiential learning projects, and critical reflection writings. Learning objectives for assignments in relation to encouraging civic engagement as developing critical thinking skills, understanding identity and frames of reference, developing empathetic awareness, and/or leading to motivated action are identified. This chapter also briefly outlines correlations between types of assignments and successful and unsuccessful outcomes in regard to stated objectives.Less

Varieties of creative citizenship

Theodore Zamenopoulos, Katerina Alexiou, Giota Alevizou, Caroline Chapain, Shawn Sobers, and Andy Williams

in The Creative Citizen Unbound: How Social Media and DIY Culture Contribute to Democracy, Communities and the Creative Economy

We identify varieties of creative citizenship among case studies as a step to differentiating characteristics, including questions of motivation, purpose and context, and drawing a useful distinction ... More

We identify varieties of creative citizenship among case studies as a step to differentiating characteristics, including questions of motivation, purpose and context, and drawing a useful distinction between collective and connective acts of citizenship. Acts of creative citizenship make or produce something new and in parallel induce a critical reflection on political, social or cultural issues. These acts may occur in any type of community, whether of place or shared interest. We foreground the role of everyday creativity, which connects previously disconnected practices of citizenship and creativity. We need to move beyond individualistic or psychological approaches towards creativity and citizenship in order to investigate the role and creative power of these connective and collective acts, not least as generators of social capital. Our observations support the proposition that the activities of an enhanced or ‘unbound’ creative citizen have the potential to make a substantial impact in civic life.Less

Service and Community-Based Learning: A Pedagogy for Civic Engagement and Critical Thinking

Philip Wingeier-Rayo

in Teaching Civic Engagement

Service-learning, or community-based learning, is a pedagogical strategy that reinforces the practice of civic engagement in a way that traditional pedagogical tools cannot. In spite of criticism ... More

Service-learning, or community-based learning, is a pedagogical strategy that reinforces the practice of civic engagement in a way that traditional pedagogical tools cannot. In spite of criticism that community-based learning is not academic enough, studies have demonstrated that students master competencies through practice, reinforcement, and critical reflection. It is important in employing this pedagogy to move beyond the pitfalls of charity and paternalism to work on projects with community partners that are mutually beneficial and are in line with the competencies of students. Building on the liberatory pedagogies of Paulo Freire and Jack Mezirow, the community-based learning pedagogy pushes academia outside of the elitist bubble and facilitates a student encounter with reality, producing a learning opportunity sometimes referred to as cognitive dissonance or conscientizao. As shown through examples on local and international service projects, preparation beforehand, such as student orientation, and critical reflection afterward are key to maximizing of learning potential.Less

Mental Action, Autonomy, and the Perspective of Practical Reason

Soteriou Matthew

in The Mind's Construction: The Ontology of Mind and Mental Action

This chapter investigates the place and role of mental agency in suppositional reasoning and self-critical reflection. It considers Descartes’ suggestion that when one is engaged in these activities, ... More

This chapter investigates the place and role of mental agency in suppositional reasoning and self-critical reflection. It considers Descartes’ suggestion that when one is engaged in these activities, which are the essential elements of Descartes’ method of doubt, ‘the mind uses its own freedom’. The chapter considers similar proposals made by O’Shaughnessy and Korsgaard. The chapter articulates what is right in these proposals, and in identifying where we should locate the role of mental agency in these forms of conscious reasoning it provides a critique of Galen Strawson's proposal that the role of mental action in thinking and reasoning can at best be ‘merely catalytic’ and ‘indirect’.Less

Particularities of Moral Contexts: The Embedded Moral Self

Anne-Marie Søndergaard Christensen

in Moral Philosophy and Moral Life

We can only become competent moral thinkers by engaging in our community, but even if our communal practices and language in this way provide us with the resources necessary for moral thought, they ... More

We can only become competent moral thinkers by engaging in our community, but even if our communal practices and language in this way provide us with the resources necessary for moral thought, they may also be the source of moral bias, distortion, and corruption, a problem which is explored in this chapter with the aim of understanding the connection between moral thought and moral context. In opening, the chapter addresses the question of whether the embeddedness of the moral subject in a particular context or community challenges the possibility of moral responsibility, but its main part is devoted to the question of how context influences our moral thought and responsibility. An investigation of cases of changes in language use and linguistic practices demonstrates how we face a twofold moral responsibility, both for what we say and do and for the practices in which these sayings and doings are embedded. A further discussion of moral practices leads to the insight that even if particular practices can inhibit or distort moral thought, they cannot make certain moral thoughts or judgements inaccessible to us. Nonetheless, even if we in principle may think any moral thought in any context, context still greatly influences what thoughts we have reason to think, making some moral insights readily accessible while hiding or marginalising others. This again points to a general moral responsibility for critical moral reflection on context.Less