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Reconsidering Difference: The Curricular and Pedagogical Significance of Holism
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- Author / Creator
- Zahra Nooruddin Kasamali
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This dissertation posits that the false universalism of liberal philosophy shapes common sense approaches to curriculum and pedagogy. Liberal philosophies prefer sameness which results in increased considerations of sameness at the expense of honouring difference. The concern with common sense approaches is that it flattens out opportunities for holism to manifest in educational contexts and guide students. Consequently, this work reconceptualizes difference because it has been misunderstood in the literature. Insights gleaned from former Aboriginal Studies 30 students’ experiences with the holism undergirding the course reveal that holistic insights can help to reposition how young people participate in difficult conversations on difference. Their experiences illuminate the transformative and generative potential of difference that can inspire deepened expressions of connectivity and belonging that are not beholden to Canadian citizenship and nationality. These wonders are expressed through a presentation of métissage that is guided by Cree philosophies and Qur’anic teachings expressed in Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi’s poetry. This métissage addresses what is missed on curricular and pedagogical landscapes. Reconnecting with embodied knowledges and shared sacred ecological roots may inspire more balanced ways to live and relate with each other.
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- Graduation date
- Fall 2019
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Doctor of Philosophy
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- License
- Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission.