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Hinterland of VoiceHinterland of Voice

Denise BatchelorDenise Batchelor

London South Bank UniversityLondon South Bank University

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DefinitionsDefinitions

HinterlandHinterland

the back country, the district lying behind the landthe back country, the district lying behind the land along the coast. along the coast.

Student voice: 3 dimensionsStudent voice: 3 dimensions

1.1. a voice for knowing, or epistemological voice, a voice for knowing, or epistemological voice, 2.2. a voice for doing, or practical voice, a voice for doing, or practical voice, 3.3. a voice for being and becoming, or ontological a voice for being and becoming, or ontological

voice. voice.

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Hinterland: Student Voice Hinterland: Student Voice RelationshipRelationship

vocabularies ofvalues

idiomsof idealsideals

STUDENTVOICE

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Anthony Grayling, 2001:36Anthony Grayling, 2001:36

‘ ‘you discover more about people you discover more about people when you learn about their hopes when you learn about their hopes than when you count their than when you count their achievements, for the best of what achievements, for the best of what we are lies in what we hope to be.’we are lies in what we hope to be.’

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Structure Structure

1.1. Retrospective of past projectRetrospective of past project

2.2. Outline of 2 further projectsOutline of 2 further projects

3.3. Characteristics of spaces, and Characteristics of spaces, and qualities in listeningqualities in listening

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• Becoming what you want to beBecoming what you want to be

• What does the process of becoming What does the process of becoming mean to you?mean to you?

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Becoming who and what you Becoming who and what you want to bewant to be

EXPERIMENT

CREATIVITY

SURPRISE

UNEXPECTED

NESS

CHANGE

WITHERINGFLOURISHING

FAILED/SUCCESSFUL

GROWTH

RISK

BECOMING

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Creating spaces to listen to Creating spaces to listen to students’ values and idealsstudents’ values and ideals

• Space for VoiceSpace for Voice

• Finding a VoiceFinding a Voice

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Some interpretations of the Some interpretations of the meaning of ideals meaning of ideals

1.1. Ideals define the essential nature of persons, their Ideals define the essential nature of persons, their identityidentity

2.2. Ideals have a motivating or conative powerIdeals have a motivating or conative power3.3. Aspirations are a person’s deepest desires: ‘they express Aspirations are a person’s deepest desires: ‘they express

the most intimate yearnings of the self, and they reflect the most intimate yearnings of the self, and they reflect most directly the values and indeed the very definition of most directly the values and indeed the very definition of the self as an enduring conative the self as an enduring conative entity’entity’ (Gewirth, 1998: (Gewirth, 1998: 23)23)

4.4. Ideals are a person’s answer to the question of what Ideals are a person’s answer to the question of what his/her highest values are, what s/he finds most excellenthis/her highest values are, what s/he finds most excellent

5.5. Ideals are navigation aidsIdeals are navigation aids6.6. Ideals give direction, inspiration and incentive to make Ideals give direction, inspiration and incentive to make

something special of one’s life, or to lead a flourishing something special of one’s life, or to lead a flourishing and meaningful lifeand meaningful life

7.7. Ideals are part of a person’s conception of the good lifeIdeals are part of a person’s conception of the good life

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Ideals and dreams as Ideals and dreams as negativesnegatives

• ‘‘Ideals tempt a person to enter into a Ideals tempt a person to enter into a dream world instead of facing and dream world instead of facing and dealing with reality.’ dealing with reality.’

De Ruyter, 2003, commenting on Iris De Ruyter, 2003, commenting on Iris Murdoch’s ‘The Bell’.Murdoch’s ‘The Bell’.

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Ideals and dreams as Ideals and dreams as positivespositives• David Halpin (2003) suggests that all utopias David Halpin (2003) suggests that all utopias

are driven by hope. The utopian impulse are driven by hope. The utopian impulse represents a form of positive, not negative, represents a form of positive, not negative, escapism. Halpin maintains that the function escapism. Halpin maintains that the function of utopias is to promote the consideration of of utopias is to promote the consideration of imaginative alternatives. Utopias are positive imaginative alternatives. Utopias are positive imaginings which seek to relativise and offer imaginings which seek to relativise and offer a critique of the present by conjuring images a critique of the present by conjuring images of alternative futures. No matter how bad of alternative futures. No matter how bad things appear, they can be envisaged things appear, they can be envisaged differently and for the better. differently and for the better.

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Qualitative SpacesQualitative Spaces

Unmeasuredspace

Non-judgemental

space

Critical &creativespace

Experimentalspace

CONNECTIVE SPACE

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Qualities in listeningQualities in listening

• Worrying away at what is utterly Worrying away at what is utterly familiarfamiliar

• Sieving and filtering the well-known in Sieving and filtering the well-known in order to know it afreshorder to know it afresh

• SilenceSilence

• OpennessOpenness

• Thinking in the demanding senseThinking in the demanding sense

• Awareness of the withdrawn/concealedAwareness of the withdrawn/concealed

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• ‘‘University is a kind of dream University is a kind of dream kingdom. kingdom.

Many people can make their dreams Many people can make their dreams inin

university.’university.’

Engineering Engineering postgraduate postgraduate

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• ‘‘Become what you want to be Become what you want to be is a power,is a power,

a power to make us do something stronga power to make us do something strong

in our dreams…I think it’s like a power –in our dreams…I think it’s like a power –

like a power to make us find our dream like a power to make us find our dream

about the life…So what kinds of thing I about the life…So what kinds of thing I must do for my dream.’must do for my dream.’

International Business postgraduateInternational Business postgraduate

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Ultimate and Normal IdealsUltimate and Normal Ideals

ULTIMATE IDEALSULTIMATE IDEALSImages of excellenceImages of excellencethat arethat are

• FlawlessFlawless• Unqualifiedly perfectUnqualifiedly perfect• UnattainableUnattainable• UnrealisableUnrealisable

NORMAL IDEALSNORMAL IDEALSImages of excellenceImages of excellencethat arethat are

• As perfect as we canAs perfect as we can realistically expect to findrealistically expect to find• AttainableAttainable• RealisableRealisable• Aware of the possible Aware of the possible • Imperfections of anImperfections of an imagined excellenceimagined excellence

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3 PROJECTS

Becoming what youwant to be

(2005)

Finding a voiceInternational postgraduates

joining in semester two 2008/9

Space for voiceFirst year

undergraduates in their second

semester of 2008/9