Why Controversy Matters: Engaging with Unplanned Controversial Issues

About

What happens when controversy erupts unexpectedly? This course explores why educators choose to engage with these unplanned moments and how they have the potential to transform learning environments into brave spaces where democratic futures are imagined and negotiated, revealing the inherently moral and political dimensions of education

Course leader

Charlot Cassar

Target group

Bachelor, Advanced Bachelor, Master, PHD, Postdoc, Professional.

This course will engage with controversial and emotionally charged issues. You are expected to bring an open and reflective attitude, explore different perspectives and examine your own assumptions. You should be prepared to approach discussions with curiosity, sensitivity and a commitment to respectful dialogue. You should also be willing to sit with discomfort and engage thoughtfully with challenging ideas. Participants are expected to respect the confidentiality of shared experiences within the group. No prior expertise in dealing with controversial issues is required, but a commitment to making a difference will enhance the experience

Course aim

1. Explore how unplanned controversial issues emerge in educational settings and understand the distinction between mainstream and thorny issues.
2. Analyse the factors that inform in-the-moment responses to unplanned controversial issues and the role of educators as gatekeepers.
3. Understand how neutrality, disclosure and emotions shape the dynamics of learning environments during contentious moments, and examine how concerns about personal and professional safety influence in-the-moment choices.
4. Explore how decisions to engage or ignore unplanned controversial issues relate to the moral and political dimensions of education.
5. Make more informed and intentional choices when faced with unplanned controversial issues

Fee info