Who controls the right to determine what is respectable? And, what is the process (cultural or
political) by which such determination is made?
My student empowerment framework requires power to be shared
with learners which ultimately, by way of the 2nd principle (Dye,
2012), activates their “voice, choice, and dominion” (p. 57).
While there is a growing appreciation
for student power, such appreciation remains philosophical as the application
of such power is stilted when adults come face to face with students’ “Innate
Power” (the 2nd principle)… students engaging in their natural drive
to use voice, choice, and dominion.
When the ideals of student empowerment come into conflict with
adults who try to restrict this power to their level of personal comfort (especially
when students sometimes act in a way that causes them discomfort), it often falls
under the umbrella of politics... or, the politics of respectability. Adults
then begin to use their authority to define what is respectable (or not) and restrict
the humanity of the children in which they seek to empower.
In a democratic (not autocratic) space, the power to define respectable behavior is
...To read the complete post, please access it from http://www.pbsdevelopment.com/blog/?p=121
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