Just keeping my eyes on these postings as they come in (almost done with
thesis!) - Sarah - wanted to say that I greatly identify with your feeling
here - I too have often stated on line what I have felt about things -
thinking I am being thoughtful enough, and then re-read a few days later and
think - well, perhaps I should have... But on the other hand I admire your
activism and that you spoke with your truth, just as others have, and I
reckon that is as it should be - truth should be vital enough to stand on
its own feet sometimes regardless of the felt sense of offence. Reading from
afar, it felt strong, sad, brave and necessary for all those things to be
said... So thanks for saying them
Warmest
Susie
On 29/11/06 11:35 PM, "Sarah Fletcher" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear Everyone,
>
> When I wrote two days ago I spoke with heartfelt passion because my values had
> been infringed. I
> made my point as clearly as I could and then (while not well enough to post
> yesterday) stood back.
>
> My aim is not rile but to assist with forming standards of judgement that do
> not offend and that
> will protect and enhance the quality of practitioners' research both
> nationally and internationally.
>
> I looked to the BERA Ethical guidelines and found them bland and too
> generalised for the point I
> need to make about the crucial need to avoid any form of discrimination that
> can deeply wound.
>
> According to the (revised) BERA guidelines the Association considers that all
> educational research
> should be conducted within an ethic of respect for the Person; Knowledge;
> Democratic Values; The
> Quality of Educational Research and Academic Freedom. This can mean (and
> unfortunately has
> done in my experience when a paper was published that contained evidentially
> untrue materials
> about my working relationship with a former colleague) that Academic Freedom
> is taken as the
> overriding factor i.e. sufficient reason to say what is deeply discriminatory
> and offensive to others.
> This can mean that a practitioner researcher could write about a colleague in
> a way they can find
> discriminatory and claim they are doing to for the greater good. It can also
> mean they use a claim
> of Academic Freedom to research and publish what they hold to be true despite
> offending others.
>
> I urge us to look at the ethical guidelines from AERA which I personally find
> more comprehensive:
>
> Under Section iv we find:
>
> In addition to enforcing standing strictures against sexist and racist
> language, editors should
> reject articles that contain ad hominen attacks on individuals or groups or
> insist that such
> language or attacks be removed prior to publication.
>
> It may be that as I become more sensitised to the need to protect my own
> rights as an academic
> with disablement that I am sensitised to infringements in other forms of
> discriminatory practice.
> I must admit I read my stand against the discriminatory expression against
> 'whiteness' with some
> surprise this morning! Until recently, I doubt I'd have voiced how offended I
> felt by what I read ...
> probably I would have quietly accepted that I see the world (and want to see
> the world) differently.
> Probably I would have waited to see if anyone else felt as I did and if not
> I'd have said nothing ...
> but that isn't 'good enough' for an academic genuinely striving to identify
> standards of judgement.
>
> Warmest regards to Everyone (even if I cannot always agree with some list
> members sometimes!!!!)
>
> Smiling!
>
> Sarah
>
> http://www.TeacherResearch.net
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