Unboxing Social and Emotional Learning
We are a group of friends, educators, and scholars (but hopefully not the gate-keeping kind) who use podcasting to speak critically, honestly, and open-mindedly about the excitements and concerns we have about social and emotional learning (SEL). What happens when sociality and emotionality, two things that have always been a part of learning, become seen as measurable in a world of marketized and self-managed education? How can we bust SEL out of any boxed-in definitions, and how might we unpack its complexity? Join us in asking questions without easy answers and taking the time to peel back layers of education that are often left undisturbed.
Contact us at: unboxingselpodcast@gmail.com
Unboxing Social and Emotional Learning
SEL and the Self
To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom, says Socrates. Self-awareness and self-management appear as central components of most SEL programs, and self-improvement, self-help, and self-care are buzzwords in our daily lives. We devote this episode to contemplating what exactly is the self? What kind of “self” does SEL seek to develop, and what understandings of self might be left behind? What can we learn from examining how self is understood across cultures and contexts, from more individualistic to more collectivist ways of being? We welcome a new member of our group, Adishi Gupta, whose research is all about the “selves” that are celebrated and shrouded in educational curriculum.
Participants:
Melvin Chan, BSc, MA, York University
Jinan El Sabbagh, PhD, Oklahoma State University
Adishi Gupta, MA, University of British Columbia
Emma McMain, PhD, Washington State University
Tonje Molyneux, MEd, MA, University of British Columbia
Facilitator: Emma McMain
Editor: Marc Koch
References:
Nisbett, R. E. (2004). The geography of thought: How Asians and Westerners think differently…and why. Free Press.