Papers by danny wildemeersch
Publisher: Garant, Antwerpen, 2018
Dit boek gaat over mensen die grenzen verleggen: pedagogen, ontwikkelingswerkers, architecten, an... more Dit boek gaat over mensen die grenzen verleggen: pedagogen, ontwikkelingswerkers, architecten, antropologen, geografen, filosofen, sociaal werkers, kunstenaars, opbouwwerkers, actievoerders, leerkrachten en heel veel vrijwilligers die zich dagelijks inzetten voor een betere wereld. Moedige mensen die niet nalaten zichzelf en hun omgeving in vraag te stellen, nieuwe horizonten te verkennen, grenzen te doorbreken. Mensen die uitnodigen tot kritisch denken over mens en samenleving en over onze gezamenlijke toekomst. In dit boek presenteert de auteur zijn evoluerende inzichten over opvoeding, vorming en onderwijs, maar ook over maatschappelijke uitdagingen zoals democratie, duurzaamheid en sociale rechtvaardigheid. Daarbij laat hij niet na ook zichzelf in vraag te stellen. Het resultaat is een bijdrage tot de visie-ontwikkeling binnen het vakgebied van de sociale pedagogiek, maar ook ruimer, in relatie tot kwesties die er toe doen.
Editorial to thematic issue on Citizenship and the Crisis of Democracy
The case discusses the ongoing debate in the Greater Lisbon Area concerning the recognition of se... more The case discusses the ongoing debate in the Greater Lisbon Area concerning the recognition of settlements that have been established during the previous decades by immigrants, mainly from former Portuguese colonies, in Lisbon and its surroundings. The case of Cova da Moura, one of these illegal settlements has a central place in the article. In that neighbourhood, a participatory experiment was put up, aimed at rearranging an open space for common use by the inhabitants. The result of the initiative was not as positive as expected. In this paper, the question whether the experiment was a failure or not, takes a central place. While looking for an answer, different theories are used as lenses for interpretation: the 'right to the city' discourse, the understanding of dissent and the framing of policy initiatives as learning processes.
The article presents a case of community art education in Leuven, Belgium. Participants who belon... more The article presents a case of community art education in Leuven, Belgium. Participants who belong to disenfranchised groups of the local community were invited to engage in artistic actions and performances aiming at familiarising them with modern art practices. Such experiments are often disqualified as being irrelevant to the life-conditions of these families in poverty, and hence as non-emancipatory. In this article, the emancipatory quality of such initiatives is explored with reference to the art practices of the Belgian/Mexican artist Francis Al€ ys and the reflections on emancipation by the French philosopher Jacques Ranci ere. These reflections help to shed a new light on the emancipatory dimension of community art practices and to consider theoretical concepts such as 'poor pedagogy'.
Studies in Art Education
The paper reflects on an arts education practice in a community centre in Leuven (Belgium). Two r... more The paper reflects on an arts education practice in a community centre in Leuven (Belgium). Two researchers, situated in two very different social and geographical locations on the globe (Belgium and South Africa) interpret this practice from their diverse perspectives. As they discuss with each other, they move in a ‘transitional space’ and interrupt each other’s thinking and discover how they draw both on similar and diverging academic discourses yet vastly differing experiences and everyday realities. Exploring how they make sense of the initiative differently the conversation turns into dialogue – of the kind that leads to emerging new insights about public art and public pedagogy, the often difficult process of dialogue across continents, and about how sites of experience can turn into unexpected sites of education and learning.
The arrival of newcomers in our societies 'impinges upon us' (Peter Jarvis). Adult and continuing... more The arrival of newcomers in our societies 'impinges upon us' (Peter Jarvis). Adult and continuing education are invited to take a stance. In response to this, I explore how relevant citizenship education for and with newcomers can be conceived of. In the first place, I explore how the arrival of newcomers triggers ambivalent reactions between fear and hope. Next, I present different concepts of responsible citizenship as a response to these ambivalences. I connect these insights with Biesta's three approaches to public pedagogy: a pedagogy for the public, a pedagogy of the public, and a pedagogy of publicness. In line with 'a pedagogy of publicness' ,
Onderwijs en gezondheidszorg, 2007
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 2001
ABSTRACT This study describes an iteractive research method by which empirically validated models... more ABSTRACT This study describes an iteractive research method by which empirically validated models of work-related learning were constructed. Theoretical models were elaborated and practical experiments conducted in seven stages. A shift occurred during the research process regarding the practical goal, the underlying theoretical propositions, and the methodological instruments used. This shift, from an empirical-analytical to a more constructivist approach, is the focus of the present study, demonstrating the benefits of a nonlinear research design in yielding both practically and theoretically relevant notions about work-related learning. It is concluded that an iterative method of constant comparison in practice based on theoretical categories, which alternates inductive and deductive procedures, is useful for developing empirically validated models of work-related learning.
The study accounts higher education curriculum restructuring in India with a special focus to Ker... more The study accounts higher education curriculum restructuring in India with a special focus to Kerala and Tamil Nadu
In this contribution I explore how critical pedagogical perspectives can inspire adult and commun... more In this contribution I explore how critical pedagogical perspectives can inspire adult and community education practices. The central argument is that today, in contrast with the heydays of emancipatory practices and theories, the classical critical approaches need reconsideration. The paper explores how these approaches sometimes have a stultifying effect on the participants in practice. In line with the French philosopher Rancière, a perspective is explored that departs from emancipated participants, rather than from participants in need of emancipation. The theoretical investigation is inspired by reflections on art practices that struggle with similar questions on emancipation as the field of adult and community education .
Editorial to a special issue of RELA on migration and adult education
Danny Wildemeersch & Astrid von Kotze
The paper reflects on an arts education experiment in a community organization in Leuven (Belgium... more The paper reflects on an arts education experiment in a community organization in Leuven (Belgium). The two authors briefly describe the case and then engage in a theory inspired dialogue, making explicit their differential backgrounds both geographically and theoretically. They refer to notions of public pedagogy and public art and relate these concepts to critical theories. The Belgian author is mainly inspired by Rancière’s ideas on art and education, while the South-African contributor uses Paolo Freire’s critical emancipatory theory as the main source of inspiration. The divergence and convergence made explicit throughout the paper adds interestingly to the theoretical debate that currently takes place with regard to arts education practices. They diverge on the question to what extent an arts education practice should also have a political dimension. They converge on the notion of ‘pedagogy of contingency’ with which they emphasize the unpredictability of critical educational and arts practices.
Wildemeersch, D., 2013
The paper presents the author's reflection on research and teaching over a period of 45 years in ... more The paper presents the author's reflection on research and teaching over a period of 45 years in a social pedagogy program in the Leuven University (Belgium). While the case is interesting in its own right, it holds broader significance for its contribution to understanding developments in education, adult and community education and social work both in disciplinary terms and regarding practice. It presents the theoretical sources of inspiration from diverse linguistic, cultural, policy and academic contexts. The chronology is organized in four periods marked by turning points that were influenced by internal and external events. The first phase is the pioneering phase. The second is the crisis and recovery phase. The third is the multiplicity phase, and the last phase is that of reinvention. The paper also reflects on some of the major themes and issues that have directed developments in social and cultural pedagogy (both old and recent) such as issues of language, the emergence of a lifelong learning discourse, and the notions of community, solidarity and criticality.
Wildemeersch, D., Jan 2014
Henriette Bastrup-Birk & Danny Wildemeersch
This paper aims at contributing to new ways of thinking about democratic education. We discuss ho... more This paper aims at contributing to new ways of thinking about democratic education. We discuss how revisiting this concept may help raise fresh questions in relation to non-formal forums grappling with intricate sustainability issues that span international borders. Starting from Rancière’s ideas on democracy, we first examine a conception of democratic education derived from these ideas. Next, we turn to a complexity informed notion of education as proposed by the two strands of emergence and enaction. We discuss how, in introducing additional dimensions, these strands might fruitfully complement the Rancierian conception of education. We conclude our discussion by proposing to re-position democratic education as a process of (co) emergence afforded by a series of critical moments which, we suggest, can call forth radically novel visions for governing the commons.
Studies in Continuing Education, 2011
Social learning theory in the context of multi-actor engagement tends to relate reflexivity prima... more Social learning theory in the context of multi-actor engagement tends to relate reflexivity primarily to critical questioning of theories-in-use. We argue that viewing suspensive dialogue and imaginative envisioning as additional stages of reflexivity will serve at least three purposes: prevent over-emphasis on instrumental rationality focusing on assumptions and practices inherited from the past, give more room to boundary-crossing and empathy in sensitive pluralistic contexts and, last but not least, relate reflexivity to bold and, to times, subversive collective envisioning of future possibilities. Arguably, the latter dimension is particularly relevant in the context of multi-actor endeavours framed as collective experiments. Moreover, revisiting reflexivity, as suggested, might help turn what still remains a largely theoretical concept into a useful heuristic device. We anticipate this device to be fruitful for gauging the capacity of one particular transboundary multi-actor initiative to call forth democratically grounded visions of as-yet unexperimented options for halting ecological degradation of marine habitats bisected by an international border.
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Papers by danny wildemeersch