Teaching Anthropology Network (TAN) Conference 2023
The Teaching Anthropology Network (TAN) hosted a conference in September, 2023, titled “New normalities? Rethinking educational practices in times of crisis and challenge” where our two of our colleagues, Dr Matthew Michael Wingfield and Mukisa Mujulizi presented a paper (in progress) titled “Pedagogical power dynamics seen from the South: A case study of the Global Classroom for Democracy Innovation (GCDI)”. The paper navigates the emergent power dynamics embedded within globalised spaces for teaching and learning. The conference was enriching and inspirational, presenting new pedagogies being utilised in Higher education spaces around the world.
The paper's abstract reads as follows:
Critiques of the composition and impacts of global educational offerings have in recent years become animated by a range of scholars. As Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) seek to ‘internationalise’ their pedagogical offerings, often students from the ‘Global North’ and ‘Global South’ find themselves in globally diverse spaces. This became increasingly prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, with similarly-aligned online engagements becoming ubiquitous. This paper is based on an international ‘Global Classroom’ with students from Stellenbosch University (South Africa), University of Toronto (Canada), and University West (Sweden), and others. We argue that while prevalent global power dynamics (in various forms) embedded in internationally collaborative sessions were intentionally engaged, there are a range of dynamics that emerge on different levels that need to be navigated (Boughey & Mckenna, 2021). Our investigation therefore, takes a multi-level approach in addressing global power dynamics. It is shown that without such an approach, engagements with power dynamics can be largely superficial, further stimming productive and inclusive student engagement. This paper is based on two years of planning and managing the Global Classroom for Democracy Innovation (GCDI) project, and further supported by both qualitative and quantitative feedback from student participants.
Conference details:
Dates: Thursday, 21st – Friday, 22nd September 2023