On 20 Jun 2007, at 12:12, Peter Mellett wrote:
"Jack –
I think the following distillate from our recent conversation does not distort the form of our overall
intended meanings as I heard them (what do you think?). I believe it shows us evolving the idea of
living standards of judgment arising from within a process of co-generation – as people work at
using dialogical and inclusional forms of collaboration in order to make new meanings from within
their individual and shared forms of life. The standards are tacitly a part of their evolving
educational enquiry that is generating new living educational theories of their own practice(s).......
P. So as a supervisor you are actually looking at – in the case of a thesis that is generating living
educational theory – in order to appraise the development of the thesis, you have to develop your
own standards of judgment that fit that evolving theory. You’ve used those standards of judgment
that you have generated during your relationship with the student . . and yet those are not the
standards of judgement that are applied by the external examiners in the course of the viva."
I do like what Pete has written here (Pete - I didn't feel any distortion of my meanings). The
examiners of a Ph.D. Thesis at the University of Bath have to examine using criteria that include
originality of mind and critical judgement and matter worthy of publication. My own experience is
that in using these criteria examiners get on the inside of the meanings of the standards
generated by the researcher in their judgment of whether or not the doctorate should be awarded.
The latest practitioner-researcher thesis to be examined at the University of Bath is Eden's and the
Director of Studies has written with his congratulations in a way that I think supports my
experience of examiners getting on the inside of the researcher's meanings:
"I am delighted to tell you that Eden Charles has completed his PhD and satisfied his examiners
that he has reached the doctoral standard.
Eden's thesis is entitled "How can I bring Ubuntu as a living standard of judgement into the
academy? Moving beyond decolonisation through societal re-identification and guiltless
recognition"
The examiners wrote:
We found the thesis to be an important, discerning and highly original piece of work, containing
much publishable material about the new approaches necessary to address and alleviate
oppressive practices of all kinds, especially those associated with colonialism and post-
colonialism. Two key approaches are identified and described in depth: 'guiltless recognition' and
'societal re-identification'. These emerge from a perception of selfhood that is distinct within but
not isolated from natural neighbourhood. The relationship between this perception, the African
cosmology of Ubuntu and the recently described philosophical awareness of 'inclusionality' is
brought out in a clear, insightful and well-rounded way, through the artful use of personal
narrative.
Congratulations, Dr Eden, we are all delighted with your success!"
What I'd like to do over the next month is to explore the significance of Eden's standards of
judgment in relation to the purposes of this e-seminar. I like the way Eden's Abstract
communicates the essence of his thesis:
"This is a living theory thesis which traces my engagement in seeking answers to my question that
focuses on how I can improve my practice as someone seeking to make a transformational
contribution to the position of people of African origin. In the course of my enquiry I have
recognised and embraced Ubuntu, as part of an African cosmology, both as my living practice and
as a living standard of judgement for this thesis. It is through my Ubuntu way of being, enquiring
and knowing that my original contribution to knowledge has emerged.
Two key approaches are identified and described in depth: ‘guiltless recognition’ and ‘societal re-
identification’. These emerge from a perception of self that is distinct within but not isolated in an
awareness of ‘inclusionality’.
They are intimately related concepts. Guiltless recognition allows us to move beyond the guilt and
blame that maintains separation and closes down possibility. It provides a basis for action and
conception that moves us towards the imagined possibilities of societal reidentification with
Ubuntu.
Both ‘guiltless recognition’ and ‘societal reidentification’ embody strategic and epistemological
practices that move away from severing, colonising thought, towards ways of being that open up
new possibilities for people of African origin and for humanity generally.
Visual narratives are used to represent and help to communicate the inclusional meanings of these
living standards of judgement. The narratives are focused on my work as a management
consultant and include my work with Black managers. They explain my educational influence in
creating and sustaining the Sankofa Learning Centre for Black young people in London. They
include my living as a Black father seeking to remain present and of value to my son within a
dominant discourse/context in which this is a contradiction to the prevalent stereotype."
I think Eden's thesis will be flowing through web-space in the next couple of weeks.
Love Jack.
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