People's true selves comprise a life story that may be considered as a narrative. With that idea in mind, the purpose of this article is to report on a pedagogical intervention that bridged life stories and a narrative perspective to examine nine, out of eighty, pre-service English language teachers' (re)construction of their true selves while…

For those who want to change the world, the author suggests they take the first step by learning about humane education. The goal of humane education is to graduate a generation of solutionaries. Humane education is founded upon the belief that human rights, environmental preservation, and animal protection are integral aspects of a just,…

Drawing upon Franquiz & Salazar's (2004) humanizing pedagogy, this qualitative case study explored the perspectives of 22 school and community leaders in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Focus group narratives revealed that school teachers, administrators, and community leaders emphasized a culturally responsive approach to overcoming…

Theorists as diverse as Plato, Rousseau, Freire, Apple, and the New London Group have understood education as a practice that "makes" humans. Positing education as a practice of humanization has long been understood to be the highest, most lofty good. By drawing on feminism, critical race studies, and postcolonial studies, the author of…

Students and educators are constrained from finding meaning in the current educational system as a result of the tension between educators' pedagogical practices and systemic constraints, such as high-stakes standardized tests and district-mandated instructional curriculum. Such restrictive educational policies limit educators from developing…

The "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM) is one of the most successful technologies in modern times. In spite of well-argued critiques, the DSM and the idea of "mental illness" on which it is based flourish, with ever more (mis)behaviors labeled as brain diseases. Problems in living and related distress…

This paper discusses dehumanizing communication reified among undergraduates and lecturers. Dehumanization is the act of degrading people with respect to their best qualities and denial of humanness to others. On the other hand, communication is human interaction and learning. Communication becomes rude when it is deliberately directed resulting…

For the last five years the authors have been involved in a research project entitled "Creating Diagogic Space." The project aims at determining to which extent conditions such as the presence/absence of social justice, the creation/lack of social and human capital, respect/non-recognition of human rights, the (non-) recognition of…

In this literature review, we explore the potential role of education in supporting peacebuilding and societal transformation after violent conflict. Following a critical analysis of the literature published by academics and practitioners, we identify the notion of humanisation (as in the seminal works of Paulo Freire and others) as a unifying…

This article uses three value constructs, Catholic social thought (CST), feminist political economy (FPE) and ecological economics (Eco-Econ) to critique current mainstream economics. Insights from these values open a way to seeing and creating a just, sustainable future. Within this value framework we propose the integration of these themes in…

African American males are three times more likely than their White male counterparts to be suspended or expelled in public schools. Changing these odds requires not only addressing disparities in discipline practices, but also lifting up a new narrative of hope, possibility, and brilliance so that young Black men can see and realize their…

Although scholars have articulated how whites institutionally, economically, and socially invest in their whiteness, they have paid little attention to white emotionality. By explicating a critical, more humanizing theory of love that accounts for the painful process of sharing in the burden of creating humanity, this psychoanalytic theoretical…

This article poses the question, "Who is the expert?" in relation to people with intellectual disabilities. It begins with an exploration of what it means to assert "moral authority" in relation to people with IDs, and makes the argument that "experts" who draw moral boundaries, define conceptions of the "good" and quality of life for people must…

The formulation of a national educational policy in Russia has to be conducted taking account of the characteristics of its sociocultural and spiritual components and go hand in hand with the problem of Russia's acquisition of a sense of its identity. Russian education must also take account of world tendencies in the development of civilization,…

The cohesion of our multicultural societies depends on mutual understanding, engaging proactively in co-operation between different communities and respecting one another. This paper deals with the educational philosophy of a well-known Turkish Islamic scholar, Fethullah Gülen and its application to schools in Nigeria. Gülen-inspired schools in…