Tronto's notion ofprivileged irresponsibilityand the reconceptualisation of care: implications for critical pedagogies of emotion in higher education

Abstract

La realización de esta tesis es un parteaguas en mi vida. Llegar hasta este momento ha sido complejo porque en mi camino han surgido todo tipo de emociones y experiencias: alegrías y tristezas, risas y llantos, descubrimientos y tropezones, bienvenidas y despedidas. Pero lo más valioso es que, durante estos cuatro años, numerosas personas me han acompañado y apoyado para que este trabajo sea posible.Estoy profundamente agradecida y conmovida por la disposición y la apertura que las profesoras que hacen parte de esta investigación tuvieron conmigo. Escucharlas y, en algunos de los casos, compartir con ellas de manera cotidiana, fue muy enriquecedor no solamente para mi tesis, si no para mí como académica, por su dedicación, su empeño y su cuidado con sus estudiantes, y por su fuerza para enfrentar las carencias y los conflictos dentro de la universidad. Espero que esta tesis sirva como un reconocimiento a todo su trabajo, y visibilice de manera fiel sus experiencias, estrategias y prácticas. También, quiero agradecer a las personas relacionadas con las profesoras que accedieron a compartirme sus reflexiones en torno a su vínculo con las docentes: su visión fue sumamente enriquecedora para mi investigación.A la profesora Luz Gabriela Arango Gaviria, hasta donde esté, por haberme abierto las puertas de la UNAL y por todo su apoyo durante ese turbulento primer semestre del doctorado.A Tania, mi directora, por acogerme cuando la profe Luz Gabriela nos dejó intempestivamente.Por acompañarme, por orientarme, por exigirme, por leerme con lupa siempre, por preocuparse por mí. Por apoyarme para presentar mi trabajo en la Ciudad de México, en Buenos Aires y en Helsinki. Pero sobre todo, por confiar en mí y por hacerme creer en mí. Muchísimas gracias.A las profesoras Norma Blazquez Graf (CEIICH-UNAM) y Hortensia Moreno (CIEG-UNAM), y al profesor Óscar Quintero (UNAL), por su lectura atenta de mi tesis, sus generosos comentarios y sus valiosas sugerencias. Ha sido todo un privilegio recibir sus retroalimentaciones. VIIIReflexividad compleja: prácticas de profesoras titulares en tiempos neoliberales A Santiago por el maravilloso acercamiento a la etnografía. A Marcela por todo el apoyo que me brindó desde que inicié los trámites para ingresar al doctorado. A mis compañeras del seminario

Constructing the caring higher education teacher: A theoretical framework

“…The central concept that appeared to stand behind all others together was that a caring teacher within higher education places 'a relationship at the centre' and the conceptual narrative was teachers' enduring belief that caring could be enacted through particular forms of relationship and in turn, that it would lead ultimately to more effective learning environments than the ones currently validated within their institution. This is a significant finding considering that there is a dearth of research to link caring with learning outcomes of any kind within higher education (Mariskind, 2014;Zembylas, Bozalek and Shefer, 2014). Nevertheless, the narrative surrounding these teachers' beliefs that students are being empowered, being made intellectually richer because of their particular types of interactions with them, remains very powerful, and agrees with research into students' testimonies that such relationships are precious and valued but costly for both students and academics if they falter (Docan--Morgan, 2011;Hagenauer and Volet, 2014a).…”

“…Such a vision of teaching is articulated by Rendón (2009) as 'sentipensante pedagogy' that involves the ability to see the connections between seeming opposites, such as thinking and feeling. Within these studies, it appears that caring teachers appear to be motivated to do all that is possible to maximize a student's chance of success and the literature attests to the means by which individual teachers carefully articulate and precisely fashion their caring philosophies and practices (Larson, 2006;Noddings, 1999;O'Connor, 2008;Weston and McAlpine, 1998;Zembylas, Bozalek and Shefer, 2014). However, there are limitations within the current research, and these lead to an imperfect understanding of the nature of pedagogic care, the distinctions between care in practice and the rationales and motivations of teachers who care, particularly in higher education.…”

“…There is also scarce empirical research identifying the broader contextual dimensions of being a caring teacher in relation to the diverse institutional settings in which teaching and academic work occurs in higher education, since the majority of scholarship is located in studies on school teachers' caring. Research that examines the tensions between particular types of activity, particularly when seen through the lens of the gendered nature of much teaching and academic work (Author et al, 2006;Harley, 2003;Hauver James, 2012;Mariskind, 2014;Zembylas et al, 2014) would be particularly significant, especially given claims about the feminization of higher education in the UK (Morley and Lugg, 2009), and in particular the tensions between the pedagogic structures that purport to support and nurture diverse student bodies more responsively in the service of key National Student Survey metrics, but in doing so, supposedly reduce valuable research time and thus potentially impact on national Research Excellence Frameworks and ultimately the status of the university (Leathwood and Read, 2009). Another issue that stands behind the motivation for this study concerns the nature of the literature on pedagogic care and what this communicates about the meaning and status of care as a mechanism to effect change, not just in pedagogic, but also social terms within education more generally.…”

Seven Voices, Seven Developers, Seven One Things that Guide Our Practice

“…My exploration started with the etymology of the meaning of “care,” and I was surprised to find that care is derived from the term “anxiety,” which holds negative connotations, even as our current usage of the term involves concern about someone or something (Reich, ). I have adopted Tronto's view that caring is a “disposition” (Zembylas, Bozalek, & Shefer, , p. 200), an intrinsic human trait that needs to be considered. Beck (), in her review of the caring ethic, writes about the challenges to define care, yet as she explores the practice of caring, she suggests it is evident in actions, such as the “…goals, practices, and conditions related to caring in education…” (p. 456).…”

Preaching to the choir? Sociodemographic differences in medical students’ evaluation of an undergraduate diversity training module

“…Research into the experiences of medical students with diversity curricula suggests that native Dutch students' learning might be impeded by the notions that diversity learning does not concern them, is medically irrelevant, or obsolete [32; 36]. Zembylas and colleagues adapted Tronto's idea of 'privileged irresponsibility' to the educational environment [37]. Privileged irresponsibility refers to the way in which a majority group fails to acknowledge power dynamics at a sociostructural level, because their membership to the dominant social group guarantees that they are unaffected by the consequences of an imbalance in these dynamics.…”