Non formal education and educating global citizens in a post-development era

Supervisor: Dr Eleanor J. Brown

A) Rationale for the project

Development Education and Global Citizenship Education tend to be based on values of solidarity and generating international understanding to meet the needs of everyone on the planet. Much research considers how this education can be included into formal education settings, however, this project seeks to explore how non-formal spaces for education could be used to provide education that encourages people to challenge the status quo and explore what development we are really aiming for and whose needs and interests are foregrounds and whose are silenced. Candidates should have a clear understanding of international development agendas and theoretical perspectives of development that require a critical approach to education, the work of post-development and postcolonial scholars will be important. Proposals should consider education about international or development issues and include a working definition of non-formal education at any stage of education, including adult education, youth work, learning through volunteering, extra-curricular learning, NGO education, social movements, civil society etc.

B) References that should be read

Andreotti, Vanessa (2006) The Contributions of Postcolonial Theory to Development Education. [online] DEA Thinkpiece. London: DEA. [viewed 21 June 2008]. Available from: www.dea.org.uk/thinkpieces

Brookfield, Stephen (1987) Developing Critical Thinkers: Challenging Adults to Explore Alternative Ways of Thinking and Acting. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Brown, E. J. (2015) Models of transformative learning for social justice: comparative case studies of non-formal development education in Britain and Spain. Compare: A Journal of International and Comparative Education. 45 (1) 141-162

Brown, E. J. (2017) Transformative Learning for Social Change in Non-formal Development Education: Practitioner perspectives on the relationship between individual actions and collective action. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice. DOI: 10.1177/1746197917723629

Darnton, Andrew, (with Kirk, Martin) (2011) Finding Frames: New ways to engage the UK public in global poverty. London: Bond.

Jarvis, Peter (2002) Globalisation, Citizenship and the Education of Adults in Contemporary European Society. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. 32(1), 5-19

Jefferess, David (2008) Global Citizenship and the Cultural Politics of Benevolence. Critical Literacy: Theories and Practices. 2, 27-36

Mayo, Marjorie (2005) Global Citizens: social movements and the challenge of globalisation. London: Zed Books.

Palacios, Carlos M. (2010) Volunteer Tourism, Development and Education in a Postcolonial World: Conceiving global connections beyond aid. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 18(7), 861-878

Rahnema, M. and Bawtree V. (eds.) (1997) The Post-development Reader. London: ZED Books.

Simpson, Kate (2004) ‘Doing Development’: The gap year, volunteer tourists and popular practice of development. Journal of International Development. 16, 681-692

Skinner, A., Baillie Smith, M., Brown, E.J. and Troll, T. eds. 2016. Education, Learning and the Transformation of Development. Oxford: Routledge. (Many chapters of this book are relevant to this project)

Westheimer, Joel and Kahne, Joseph E. (2004) What Kind of Citizen? The politics of educating for democracy. American Educational Research Journal. 41(2), 237-269

C) Research aims / questions

The aim of this project is to explore how non-formal approaches to education can contribute to critical and challenging understandings of development agendas. Candidates are free to determine their own research questions and identify the context(s) for the proposed study.

D) Methods

This project will be qualitative in nature and influenced by an interpretativist epistemology. The methods themselves may include interviews, observations, focus groups or others and may use a case study or ethnographic design. The context and participants of the research will be determined by the candidate in agreement with the supervisor.

E) Skills and opportunities you could gain

You would be encouraged to join the British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE) and would be given access to opportunities through this network. You would gain skills in qualitative research and deepen your understanding of frameworks of development that challenge the status quo. This project would be suitable for a PhD in Education or a PhD in Global Development with interdisciplinary supervision.