Rethinking Inclusive Education: The Philosophers of Difference in Practice: 5 (Inclusive Education: Cross Cultural Perspectives, 5) - Hardcover

Allan, Julie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1402060920 ISBN 13: 9781402060922

Publisher: Springer, 2007

Synopsis

One of the important responsibilities that advocates of inclusion need to continually practise is that of self-criticism. This includes examining and re-examining the assumptions informing our perspectives, the concepts that we use including ‘inclusive education’ and our intentions, especially in relation to the question of change. We need to beware of the danger of unexamined orthodoxies, the possibilities of ado- ing inclusive language with little, if any, changes in our thinking and practice and a sterile and insensitive position with regard to the pursuit of new or alternative ideas. In this very important book, Allan powerfully reminds us of the necessity and centrality of these concerns and provides a direct, perceptive and thoughtful, exami- tion and critique of the varied barriers to the task of how to make inclusion happen. Allan challenges the reader to step back and re-examine the rationale for inclusion through an alternative mindset. She challenges the varied attacks upon inclusion including those in the education business to stop using economic (it costs too much) and pedagogical (it is bad for the other children in the class and traumatic for the disabled children) and social (just too much for the teacher’s workload) reasons for closing the door and doing the right thing, and those who argue that inclusion was an experiment that did not work.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The inclusion of disabled children and those with difficult behaviour is increasingly being seen as an impossible challenge and, not surprisingly, concerns are being expressed by teachers unions and researchers about teachers’ capacities, and willingness, to manage these demands. With Warnock, the so-called ‘architect’ of inclusion now pronouncing this her ‘big mistake’ and calling for a return to special schooling, inclusion appears to be under threat as never before. This book takes key ideas of the philosophers of difference – Deleuze, Foucault and Derrida - and puts them to work on inclusion. These ideas allow the task of including children to be reframed and offer, not solutions, but different ways of working which involve altering adult-child relationships –subverting, subtracting, and inventing and restructuring teacher education – recognition, rupture and repair. The propositions also include making use of the arts to challenge exclusion and to establish more inclusive practices. This is a must for teacher educators, researchers, student teachers and practising teachers concerned about the future of inclusion. It offers fresh insights and a steer towards possibilities for a more productive, and political, engagement with inclusion.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1402060920
• ISBN 13: 9781402060922
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 198