Publish at March 22 2022 Updated April 29 2022
A civilization without culture makes societies without pedagogy.
Louis Pauwels
"We need to do pedagogy", "We have failed to do pedagogy" are the contrite comments of reformers who have failed to get their ideas across. We will not take them back. The new index scale, pension policy, the vaccine precautions, all great resolutions eventually stumble upon a resisting mass of detractors.
The mechanism seems broken in advance. First a more or less strong consultation of the concerned actors, then an accumulation of reasonable or even scientific facts and arguments that form "language elements" or "marketing tricks" to convince a large audience, then a contestation of the analysis by an active minority. A radicalization of the minority taken from above or even vilified by the enlightened decision makers. Protesting heroes or leaders who stand out. An incident, a verbal, sometimes physical skirmish, that goes wrong and there is a martyr figure for the cause.
The means of persuasion become pressure and the "anti mobilization" grows. But, given the energy already committed, the cost of giving up on the good idea is too great. It is a matter of the decision-maker continuing to ride on his principles and staying "straight in his boots." He becomes radicalized. He will not let go of anything.
Then comes the moment of the obstacle that the rider takes in the face. He stands up proud and a bit crumpled to declare "We lacked pedagogy". Sometimes he goes even further and declares with aplomb that they are unmanageable or our idea was too subtle, too clever for them to understand. But what does the educational argument have to do with this fiasco? Is it not rather a aborted attempt at manipulation?
The pedagogical argument is posed as an excuse in the mode, our idea, our program, our vaccine, our product, our reform are excellent but we sin in the art of appropriation.
Pedagogy is an activity that consists in the growth of the other and not in its subjection.
The political world uses the pedagogical argument to excuse a failing debate by defending the merits of its health, security reforms or measures. These reforms would be fair and balanced but poorly presented. By using the pedagogical argument, the powers that be assert that they will educate the people and that they must do it the right way so that the people will take the path chosen for them.
In some countries, re-education camps are even organized to show the right way. This is referred to as brainwashing. Access to the meanders of cognition then passes through coercion.
The private companies hide behind pedagogy to explain that they have not been able to convince customers of the quality of their product. They combine pedagogy with marketing, which is a body of doctrine for getting people to buy products and services.
As for the religious world, it has developed numerous practices to acculturate the masses to a body of beliefs . One does not count the number of pedagogues who emanate from congregations, orders, churches, temples of all kinds. Pedagogy is here a matter of elevation of the soul and its orientation towards the most desirable thoughts and aspirations with regard to the messiah, the guru, the prophet, a central figure, a revealed book supposed to guide our steps.
If there is too much "pedagogy" in a place where it is not expected, there are sometimes paradoxically shortages where it should be cultivated. Schools are asking for more pedagogy to carry out their missions. They are sometimes criticized. Some would pay too much attention to forms and would be accused of pedagogism. Teacher training is a point of attention for civilizations that seek to endure.
Today, there is also a need to supplement the knowledge of computer scientists and designers of so-called "pedagogical" software so that they care even more about the virtues of their offering for the benefit of learners. The latter should be considered more than just button pushers. So-called artificial intelligence will never replace human mediation that goes beyond the mere presentation and arrangement of data.
But, is it a need for pedagogy or a need for pedagogues? It is useful to remember with Meirieu that "what founds pedagogy is the education of freedom."
Every time political leaders, corporations, religious people, teachers, and all those who use the pedagogical argument go in the direction of increasing our power to act, then they are doing pedagogy, but every time they seek to enroll us in their worldview, their product, their belief, they hijack the essence of pedagogy.
So let's always work to become better pedagogues and accompany the other person to where they are, where they are starting from, so that they get to where they want to go rather than coercing them or distilling our own desires and aspirations.
Sources
Lyon Capitale - You have to be willing to be nagged. https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/politique/gj-il-faut-accepter-de-se-faire-houspiller-jean-luc-fugit-depute
Acting Through Culture. Parasitic Words and the Moron People https://www.agirparlaculture.be/paroles-parasites-et-peuple-cretin/
Quadruppani, S. (2013). Notes for use in building a permanent dictionary of langmol. Lines, 42, 165-170. https://doi.org/10.3917/lignes.042.0165
New Obs. Our mistake is that we were probably too smart, too subtle https://www.nouvelobs.com/politique/20181217.OBS7228/gilles-le-gendre-notre-erreur-est-d-avoir-probablement-ete-trop-intelligents-trop-subtils.html
Glossaire. We have lacked pedagogy https://fsl56.org/glossaire:nous_avons_manque_de_pedagogie
Collot, B. (2012). The school of simplexity. TheBookEdition. Https://www.thebookedition.com/fr/l-ecole-de-la-simplexite-p-69923.html
Liberty Algeria. We have lacked pedagogy to the citizens https://www.liberte-algerie.com/actualite/nous-avons-manque-de-pedagogie-a-legard-des-citoyens-341844
Ivoir TV Situation at the BAE Stadium: The DG of Health admits '' we have lacked pedagogy www.ivoirtv.net/actualites/presse-nationale/societe/15020-situation-stade-bae-dg-sante-avoue.html
4cristol.over-blog. We need to educate https://4cristol.over-blog.com/2018/11/il-faut-faire-preuve-de-pedagogie.html
Coronalert, the app set aside in the tracing strategy https://bx1.be/dossiers/dossiers-redaction/coronalert-lapplication-mise-de-cote-dans-la-strategie-de-tracing/
Pedagogical café. Philippe Meirieu: "What founds pedagogy is the education of freedom". Interview with P. Meirieu about "Pedagogy: The Duty to Resist" www.cafepedagogique.net/lemensuel/larecherche/pages/2007/85_meirieu.aspx
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