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Conversations: risk, passion and frank speaking in education

2012; Routledge; Volume: 7; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/17449642.2012.672032

1744-9650

Amanda Fulford,

Higher Education Learning Practices

Abstract This article considers conversations in and about education. To focus the discussion, it uses the scenario of a conversation between a trainee teacher and her mentor reflecting together on a lesson that the trainee has just taught. I begin by outlining the notion of reflective practice as popularised by Donald Schön, and show how, in the scenario, the reflective practice conversation leads to talk characterised by recourse to particular dominant discourses within education, and how this in turn can lead to a certain voicelessness. I then consider what the possibilities for the reflective practice conversation might be, looking first at the Greek notion of parrhēsia and how this has been discussed in the work of Michel Foucault in contrast to other forms of talk such as rhetoric or chattering. I argue that, whilst the parrhēsiastic conversation may allow for the exploration of the relationships (between the mentor and the trainee, each participant and their words and a relationship of care for the self), such possibilities are fraught with difficulty. I then move to consider how such relationships might be developed through recognising the expressive aspects of language emphasised in Stanley Cavell's notion of passionate utterance. I first trace the development of Cavell's thought through John Austin's contrast in language between the constative and the performative. I then illustrate the idea of passionate utterance from the films Cavell describes as the 'Hollywood comedies of remarriage', and argue that the passionate utterance opens up opportunities for the kind of conversation in education that is itself educative. Keywords: conversationflatteryrhetoric parrhēsia performativepassionate utterance Notes 1. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills – the regulatory and inspectorate body for England. OfSTED conducts periodic inspections of schools in England, grade school provision and report publicly on their findings. 2. For clarity, the term 'teacher' will be used throughout this article to denote the experienced colleague/mentor who has formally observed the lesson, and who gives feedback, and 'trainee' to denote the individual who has been observed. 3. See, for example, the work of Mann, Gordon, and MacLeod (Citation2009) on reflective practice in the health professions. 4. It has not, though, been without its critics. Some have questioned how the notion of reflective practice addresses praxis (see, e.g. Usher, Johnstone, and Bryant Citation1995). Schön's idea of reflective practice has been subsequently developed, particularly in relation to health and related professions. See the work of Johns (Citation1995) and Rolfe, Freshwater, and Jasper (Citation2001). 5. On this point, see, for example, the work of Noddings (Citation1992, Citation1993) and Carr (Citation2003). 6. The Latin roots of 'conversation' are significant here: that in talking we are 'turning' (vertere) with (cum) others. 7. Cavell is talking here specifically of 'the role of ordinary language in relation to the imperative of expression' (2005, 188). I use the quotation here, though, as it captures in a particularly articulate way the point I am pursuing about the need for a revitalised form of conversation. 8. See also Fulford (Citation2009). 9. Cavell (Citation1996, 3) identifies the following films as representative of the genre: Stella Dallas (1937), Now Voyager (1942) and Gaslight (1944). 10. Foucault notes that Socratic (or philosophical) parrhēsia is closely associated with the notion of the care of the self, and this is clearly shown in the parrhesiastic role Socrates plays in the Alcibiades Major (Foucault Citation2001). 11. I would not want to argue that this kind of conversation is useful for considering teacher training alone. There are other contexts in education where the practice of frank speaking and truth telling, informed by the notion of parrhēsia, might also be richly explored. There are possibilities, for example, for the lecturer/student tutorial in the university. Recently, Papadimos and Murray (Citation2008) argued that parrhēsia should be considered as an ethical response to the American Medical Association's identification of a gap in the education of medical students, and that it could contribute to the enhancement of their training and mentoring. This is interesting because it considers the training of professionals, and thus has relevance also to the training of teachers This is not to ignore the vast literature, not least in sociology, on professions and professionals. For this debate in education, see for example, Jane Green's (Citation2011) discussion, and also Martinez, Desiderio, and Papakonstantinou (Citation2010) and Campbell (Citation2008). 12. I am reminded of this in just one example: at the time of writing this article, BBC Radio 4 was broadcasting its 2011 series of Reith lectures. One of the invited lecturers was the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who acknowledges in her second lecture (recorded secretly in Burma) that, despite being freed from her latest period of house arrest, she risks her life by continuing to speak publicly against the regime. 13. Constatives can be thought of in terms of truth and falsity. 14. Austin's felicity (or happiness) conditions are summarised as follows: the utterance must take place as part of a conventional procedure where the context and people involved are appropriate; the procedure must be executed completely and in an appropriate fashion; the utterance must be backed by appropriate feelings by the people involved who must conduct themselves accordingly afterwards. 15. Cavell considers whether there are conditions for the successful functioning of perlocutionary utterances that might align to Austin's felicity conditions for performatives. What he demonstrates is that it is difficult to find analogous perlocutionary conditions. 16. Cavell lists the following as examples of the passionate utterance: (a) 'I'm bored.' (b) 'You know he took what you said as a promise.' (Roughly, a rebuke from Margaret Schlegel to Mr Wilcox in Howard's End. (c) 'Monster, felon, deceiver!' (Donna Elvira to Don Giovanni). (d) 'Carmen, I love you.' (End of Don José's Flower Song) (Cavell Citation2005, 177). 17. See my paper considering student writing in the university (Fulford Citation2009), where I draw attention to Cavell's reading of the Hollywood film Gaslight. In one of the final scenes of this film, there is arguably an example of the passionate exchange. Paula Anton, the film's heroine, has been driven to the verge of derangement by her murderous husband, Gregory. He is seen frantically searching for hidden family jewels in the attic of their home, and Paula is in the house with her friend, Cameron, a detective. Acutely aware of Paula's state of mind, and of the evil intents of her murderous husband, Cameron asks of the terrified Paula: 'Mrs Anton, you know, don't you. You know who's up there, don't you?' Paula accepts the invitation, engages in the exchange: 'No, no'. But Cameron persists 'Are you sure you don't?' And she replies 'No, No, how could he be?' 18. 'Pinky' is the nick-name Amanda uses for her husband throughout the film. 19. Munday's (Citation2009) paper considers, for example, Cavell's idea of the passionate utterance in relation to moral education in schools when he responds to Michael Hand and his discussion of the teaching of homosexuality as a controversial issue (Hand Citation2007). 20. Raaen refers this as 'averting stagnation' (Citation2011, 632). 21. Here Cavell is quoting from Thoreau's Walden (Thoreau Citation1854/1999). 22. See Ross (Citation2006).