Decolonising Knowledge: Enacting the Civic Role of the University in a Community-Based Project

Autor/inn/en	McAteer, Mary; Wood, Lesley
Titel	Decolonising Knowledge: Enacting the Civic Role of the University in a Community-Based Project
Quelle	In: South African Journal of Education, 38 (2018) 4, Artikel 1662 (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0256-0100
Schlagwörter	School Community Relationship; Universities; Participatory Research; Action Research; Economically Disadvantaged; Democracy; Epistemology; Social Change; Role; Community Development; Program Development; College Faculty; Teaching Assistants; Foreign Countries; Elementary School Teachers; Parent Education; Foreign Policy; Indigenous Knowledge; Educational History; Mentors; Numeracy; Language Skills; Parent Participation; African Languages; English (Second Language); South Africa; United Kingdom + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? University; Universität; Forschungstätigkeit; Projektforschung; Demokratie; Erkenntnistheorie; Sozialer Wandel; Rollen; Community; Development; Entwicklung; Programmplanung; Fakultät; Ausland; Elementary school; Teacher; Teachers; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Parents education; Elternbildung; Elternschule; Außenpolitik; History of education; Bildungsgeschichte; Rechenkompetenz; Language skill; Sprachkompetenz; Elternmitwirkung; Africa; Language; Languages; Afrika; Sprachen; Afrikanische Sprache; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik; Großbritannien
Abstract	The need to work in partnership with communities in a meaningful and impactful way has become a core part of university planning in many countries around the world. In the Global South, the potential for the Eurocentric knowledges and power structures to dominate such partnerships is pervasive. This article reports on findings of a participatory action research project conducted with community members in a socio-economically disadvantaged community in South Africa who had identified a need to improve school-community cooperation in educating local children. Analysis of our findings, framed against broader cultural and historical contexts, suggests that when the role of university-based 'experts' is one of facilitation rather than 'delivery,' then not only is participation more effective, but, also, the process and products of knowledge democratisation can be realised more effectively. We thus provide unique insight into the way relationships between the university and the community can be reconceptualised, from a position of knowledge and epistemic hierarchy to one of epistemic democracy. We discuss the (civic) role of the university in enabling this co-construction of knowledge, and in developing the shared meanings and understandings that promote decolonisation and enable social change. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Education Association of South Africa. University of Pretoria, Centre for the Study of Resilience, Level 3, Groenkloof Student Centre, Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, George Storrar Road and Lleyds Street, Pretoria 0001, South Africa. Web site: http://www.sajournalofeducation.co.za/index.php/saje/index
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01