The Educational Politics of Identity and Category
Publication Type |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication |
1998 |
Author |
|
Journal |
Interchange: A Quarterly Review of Education |
Volume |
29 |
Number |
4 |
Pages |
385-402 |
Language |
English |
Keywords |
|
Annotation |
Although the author briefly discusses Weil’s notion of roots in relation to issues of multiculturalism in the modern west, the article does not contain an extensive treatment of her ideas. Willinsky argues we need to question the categories of identity that are used in a discussion of multiculturalism. After a brief presentation of Weil’s ideas about the importance of roots, he turns to the Canadian philosopher Charles Taylors’ treatment of multiculturalism. Willinsky is critical of Taylor’s 'politics of recognition' in what he claims is its failure to recognize its own bias by not analyzing the origins of the categories used in his discussion of multiculturalism, racism and sexism. He moves on from Taylor to examine how multiculturalism has been handled in educational curricula, primarily focusing on Canada although he does make brief reference to both the United States and Europe. He then addresses some of the backlash against multiculturalism in Canada and the United States. He concludes the article by arguing theories and policies related to multiculturalism should not be static but should instead be shaped by an ongoing interrogation of the categories they use and the way these categories play out in the lives of actual people living in a multicultural environment. |