The Posthuman Child: Educational transformation through philosophy with picturebooks (Contesting Early Childhood) - Hardcover

Murris, Karin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1138858439 ISBN 13: 9781138858435

Publisher: Routledge, 2016

Synopsis

The Posthuman Child combats institutionalised ageist practices in primary, early childhood and teacher education. Grounded in a critical posthumanist perspective on the purpose of education, it provides a genealogy of psychology, sociology and philosophy of childhood in which dominant figurations of child and childhood are exposed as positioning child as epistemically and ontologically inferior. Entangled throughout this book are practical and theorised examples of philosophical work with student teachers, teachers, other practitioners and children (aged 3-11) from South Africa and Britain. These engage arguments about how children are routinely marginalised, discriminated against and denied, especially when the child is also female, black, lives in poverty and whose home language is not English. The book makes a distinctive contribution to the decolonisation of childhood discourses.

Underpinned by good quality picturebooks and other striking images, the book's radical proposal for transformation is to reconfigure the child as rich, resourceful and resilient through relationships with (non) human others, and explores the implications for literary and literacy education, teacher education, curriculum construction, implementation and assessment. It is essential reading for all who research, work and live with children.

About this title

About the Author:

Karin Murris is Professor of Pedagogy and Philosophy at the School of Education, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Review:

"The Posthuman Child makes an important and timely contribution to the ongoing discussion of an educational vision rooted in life-centred values. In addition, the detailed illustrations and excerpts from students’ conversations make Murris’s scholarly book valuable. Her message is hopeful and inspirational in providing new directions for teaching and learning that affirm the lived experiences of children. This is a valuable text for educators, counsellors, education program planners, and researchers interested in working with early years and elementary school children."― Karen Magro, Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1138858439
• ISBN 13: 9781138858435
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 300