Working Group on Cultural Perspectives on Education and Learning
The WG reports on its first two online working seminars on “'Mapping the field - Ethnologists, anthropologists and folklorists in education and learning'” and the topic of ethnologists, anthropologists and folklorists as educators.
The working group "Cultural Perspectives on Education and Learning" was formed in the spring 2024, with Maria Zackariasson and Erika Lundell elected as chairs and Nadine Wagener-Böck as secretary. Since then, the working group has already held two online working seminars, which are reported here.
On 31 May 2024, the working group held its first online seminar. Entitled 'Mapping the field - Ethnologists, anthropologists and folklorists in education and learning', it brought together members and other interested parties from the field of education for a good two hours. The programme included information and discussion, with two groups in break-out rooms at its core. Firstly, there was an exchange of experiences and reflections on how anthropological/folkloristic research on education and learning and one's own position in this field can contribute. A focus on school-related issues emerged, but university research and work in non-school places of learning were also represented. Then, in a second round, an exchange in small groups was initiated, dedicated to the question of the most important (potential) research questions related to education and learning in the different national and local contexts to which they belong. The aim was also to explore the possibilities that the working group could offer and lay the foundation for future cooperation and activities as for instance joint conference panels. The results of both rounds were presented and discussed in plenary. It was a successful kick-off, allowing everyone to exchange ideas and expectations about the working group and to get to know each other and their research better.
The second online meeting took place on 18 October 2024 and focused on ethnologists, anthropologists and folklorists as educators in different settings. In the now tried and tested format, participants again met in small groups and began this time by sharing experiences of teacher training and other educational programmes, such as those for museums or archives. What are the conditions for working as an educator in these fields? We collected the answers in the chat and, after a short break, went into another round to discuss the contribution of our expertise in this area. Again, we collected keywords which were then used as the basis for short presentations by each group. 'Teaching as a tool to challenge hegemony', 'The beauty of sharing is beauty in itself' or 'We need more ethnographers in educational contexts' were some of the key take-aways from this workshop.
2025 we will intensify the exchange on concrete research projects. We also will chair the panel "The unwritten and the hidden? Rewriting research on education and learning from a cultural perspective" at the SIEF Congress in Aberdeen. As the working group continues to grow, our meetings are open to all people interested, and our mailing list provides regular information about what is going on. So please visit our webpage and register to join our discussions, Cultural Perspectives on Education and Learning.
