Is hegomony the same as hegemony, or is it a new term? I have never seen
this term before.

On Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 8:06 AM, Bonnie Odiorne <bonniesophia at sbcglobal.net>
wrote:


> I don't understand from what perspective Steve is coming. I don't deny that

> there is without doubt a subtext of both hegomony and power in these

> discussions, as Brookfield would put it. Hegomony, i.e. what we "believe to

> be so" without consciously questioining it, and power, the unspoken presence

> of institutions, employers, funders, regulatory agencies. So are we reduced

> to saying that this listerve and all like it is a sham, a pretense of

> dialogue, of true inquiry? My believe is that it is not. I, being aware of

> these forces, do try to navigate among them when they might impact my self

> interest, but other that that, and perhaps that's bigger than I'd like to

> acknowledge, I think I sincerely play with ideas, think out loud, take input

> from others and file it for future use,or use it immediately in my

> professional practice. I believe that many of the results of these

> dialogues might not be seen on the screen, but in our classrooms, offices:

> where, as PDs so often bemoan, we try to put our learning into practice. Of

> course we find common ground: isn't that what "best practices" is all about?

> Of course we disagree: don't we have our own particular perspectives,

> backgrounds, assumptions? But we do, and must, on a moderated listserve,

> maintain a degree of collegiality that is the essence of professional

> discourse, and if we attempt, as Jackie says, to "suspend our assumption,"

> and be open to being convinced of a contrary point of view, or perhaps, find

> that that "contrary" really isn't..... This is how we all, students or

> instructors, learn and grow in critical thinking. And, btw, I believe that

> low-level language learners are practicing critical thinking with every

> language decision they make. And, as linguistics know, each language

> decision in a given sentence limits the choices of what can follow, and so

> decisions cannot be made lightly.

> Best,

> Bonnie Odiorne, Ph.D. Professor, Writing Center, Post University

> ----- Original Message ----

> From: "Taylor, Jackie" <jataylor at utk.edu>

> To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List <

> professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 7:29:42 PM

> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2275] On dialogue and critical thinking

>

>  Hi Steve, (All)

>

>

>

> You wrote:

>

>

>

> "Unfortunately, the recent trend in educational circles seems to favour

> "dialoguing", whereby we pretend to agree with whatever is said, and look

> for points that we have in common, and should avoid trying to persuade

> anyone of one's point of view. This leads to a sterile discussion. It only

> works if everyone actually does agree, or if contrary views can be

> suppressed.."

>

>

>

> I disagree with how you are characterizing dialogue. Do you mean to equate

> dialogue with some type of cooperation or consensus, or group think..? (

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink)

>

>

>

> I believe dialogue is about presenting one's point of view, but then

> looking for meaning, suspending assumptions (i.e. suspend as in to hold out

> assumptions and examine them), being open to changing one's position…

> Dialogue and the knowledge constructed as a result are greater than the sum

> of its parts and what is constructed is only as rich as the diverse

> perspectives brought to the table. It depends on seeking authentic meaning

> and a 'safe space' so that individuals feel comfortable expressing their

> views (thus eliciting more diverse perspectives). It does include finding

> common ground, but I see it as being more about constructing new knowledge,

> attitudes, and the group dynamics needed for that construction.

>

>

>

> And what does this have to do with critical thinking and student

> involvement?

>

>

>

> One uses critical thinking in dialogue. What does "the other" mean by what

> she said? How is what I'm saying reflected in the other's position? How is

> it not? How might I understand the other better? What are the "right

> questions" I need to ask in order to do that? All too often I think we are

> afraid to "ask back" for fear of appearing somehow "less than" or as if one

> might "not know" what the other means.

>

>

>

> It also levels the playing field and the instructor or facilitator is not

> perceived as "the expert" with all the answers; both students and

> instructors have expertise to contribute. It would be interesting, I think,

> to explore strategies for facilitating dialogue vs. debate.

>

>

>

> As always, I welcome others' thoughts.

>

>

>

> Best, Jackie

>

>

>

> Jackie Taylor

>

> jataylor at utk.edu

>

>

>

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>




-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com
1-604-922-8514
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