The politics of education and critical pedagogy : considerations from the English literary tradition in 'post-colonial' academic contexts

Abstract

Drawing on post-colonial theory, the study offers a critical reading of the current status of the ‘Middle Eastern’ educational systems, the English literary education, in particular. It also considers the contribution of post-colonial theory in educational and literary studies by exploring possibilities to challenge hegemonic ideologies and relations of power in education. I argue that being at the heart of colonial relations, ‘post-colonial’ educational systems are still largely entrapped by a modelling approach which was rooted during the era of colonialism and further consolidated by the unequal contemporary world relations. The creation of this capitalised structure has established an enduring relational system between the centre and the margin; and in the long run, keeps the latter cleaving to the values of the first. In the literary sphere, such ideologies still perpetuate their regulation and dissemination of the ‘high cultural’ or ‘canonical’ traditions. In an attempt to address these inherent problems, the study explores the possibility of forwarding the post-colonial critical tenets by curving out wholesale the notions ‘Hybridity’, ‘Third Space’, Diaspora and Dialogism in the context of Critical Pedagogy. The study contributes to a wider debate in critical educational and literary studies by means of disrupting and problematising the meta-narratives and discourses of universality and standardisation. It also contributes to theory and pedagogy by exploring strands of theories so far believed to be discrete.