ERIC Number: EJ1477513
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1857
EISSN: EISSN-1469-5812
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Unlearning the Child: An Ontological Politics Outlook
Educational Philosophy and Theory, v57 n9 p836-847 2025
This article examines how we as researchers in a constantly changing world can challenge ourselves by 'unlearning' what we know, and perhaps take for granted, about children. What happens, for example, to the notion of the child in a world of transformation? To address these questions, I argue that we need to explore the act of unlearning both imagined and 'real' children. The act of unlearning encourages confusion, uncertainty, courage, and changes of mind as a way of learning anew. Through explorations of empirical examples from research with and about children, issues such as the no-where child, the now-here child, agency, numerical age, vulnerability, and competence are discussed. The analyses do not offer a coherent alternative. The purpose is rather to shake things up and create openings and possibilities.
Descriptors: Educational Theories, Learning Theories, Child Development, Personal Autonomy, Age Differences, Competence, Social Change, Educational Philosophy
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Thematic Studies - Child Studies, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden