Curriculum as Spaces: Aesthetics, Community, and the Politics of Place (Complicated Conversation)

This book has won the «O.L. Davis, Jr. Outstanding Book Award» 2015 from the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum (AATC) Curriculum as Spaces: Aesthetics, Community, and the Politics of Place can be viewed as a holistic approach to education, conservation, and community development that uses place as an integrating context for learning. It argues that curriculum and place is a much deeper subject, with roots in aesthetics, community, and politics that go beyond the individual and profoundly address the formation of our current belief system. Despite the unique efforts described in this book to address the curriculum of space, major issues persist in our educational system. First, the rigor of curriculum studies is not usually applied to this complex field that encompasses philosophy, aesthetics, geography, social theory, and history. Second, the conflict caused by studying the place without contextualizing it within the larger social milieu ignores the nuances of our intimately global social network. Third, current responses ignore the uncritical assessment of underrepresented groups within the theoretical landscape. With these problems in mind, Curriculum as Spaces introduces foundational principles that ask us to imagine the full realization of curriculum spaces and show us how to examine the philosophical and cultural roots of these most essential principles. Cover Table of Contents Acknowledgments Prologue—Origins and Foundations Unfolding the Narrative Modernity, Education, and Control Place, Space, and Communities Aesthetics and Re-awakening the Lived Connection to Education Cosmopolitanism, Engagement, and Transactional Curriculum Conclusion Chapter 1: The Transactional Spaces of Curriculum Curriculum as a Trajectory of Action Recognizing vs. Perceiving Curriculum The Role of Metaphor in Engaging our Professional Imaginations Curriculum as Spaces Schooling as Heterotopia Transaction, Disfiguring, and the Moral Dimension of Curriculum Conclusion: Curriculum as Radical Transactions Chapter 2: The Aesthetic Moment in Education Chapter 3: Disrupting Our Imagined Communities A Cosmopolitan Encounter: Museo Nacional de Antropología Cosmopolitanism Curriculum and Cosmopolitanism An Approximation of Cosmopolitan Curriculum: Oakland Cemetery The Role of Ritual in Promoting a Cosmopolitan Curriculum Rituals for a Cosmopolitan Curriculum Ritual Giving Ritual Dance Ritual Meals Conclusion Chapter 4: Re-assessing and Re-capturing Space Through Radical Curriculum Designing Curriculum Autobiographical Paradigm of Place Chapter 5: Urban Spaces Introduction Place and History of the Federal District Indicators of Need in a Spatial Context Stakeholders and Curricular Spaces for Action Leveraging Existing Neighborhood Assets Researching Solutions with a Heart: The Role of Education Institutional Cohesion and Identity: How Schools can Lead Change Curriculum as transformative leadership Chapter 6: Curriculum as Transactional Aesthetic Notes Conclusion The Journey Ahead: Our Radical Ontological Calling as Curriculum Scholars Contested Political Space: No Man’s Land Contested Identities: Kandahar Hope in Contested Spaces: Songcatcher Conclusion References "Curriculum as Spaces: Aesthetics, Community, and the Politics of Place" can be viewed as a holistic approach to education, conservation, and community development that uses place as an integrating context for learning. It argues that curriculum and place is a much deeper subject, with roots in aesthetics, community, and politics that go beyond the individual and profoundly address the formation of our current belief system. Despite the unique efforts described in this book to address the curriculum of space, major issues persist in our educational system. First, the rigor of curriculum studies is not usually applied to this complex field that encompasses philosophy, aesthetics, geography, social theory, and history. Second, the conflict caused by studying the place without contextualizing it within the larger social milieu ignores the nuances of our intimately global social network. Third, current responses ignore the uncritical assessment of underrepresented groups within the theoretical landscape. With these problems in mind, "Curriculum as Spaces" introduces foundational principles that ask us to imagine the full realization of curriculum spaces and show us how to examine the philosophical and cultural roots of these most essential principles. -- Provided by publisher **This book has won the «O.L. Davis, Jr. Outstanding Book Award» 2015 from the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum (AATC)**__Curriculum as Spaces: Aesthetics, Community, and the Politics of Place____Curriculum as Spaces__