WORK

Education can never be neutral - teaching for subversion

Julie Taylor

Nurse education is in the turbulent throws of political, demographic and ideological change, as many colleges adopt a curriculum to produce a new breed of nurse, through ‘Project 2000’. Essentially however, those preparing these students for professional practice are often entrenched in the traditional and hierarchical tutor-student relationships with which we are all familiar.

This paper seeks to explore the work of some radical educationalists with a view to presenting subversive teaching as a credible, and potentially desirable, entity. To cope with change and survive as a profession, nurse education cannot afford to throw out the bedpan along with its contents.

INTRODUCTION TEACHING FROM ABOVE

The advent of Project 2000 has produced fun- damental change to the traditional avenues of nurse education, but are we preparing nurses to confront and question the accepted values inher- ent in the profession? I would suggest not, and that there are thus important lessons to be learned from the radical educationalists. Teaching for subversion, which is an ideology of educating individuals to challenge the status quo, can be approached from two angles. It emerges from a critique of wider systems, par- ticularly democracy, where the belief is that if education is propitious, everything else will follow (Postman 8c Weingartner 1969) and then from a slightly different perspective, as a peda- gogy of the oppressed (Freire 1972).

Julie layfor ESC(Hons) RGN Nurse Teacher, York 81 Scarborough College Of Nursing & Midwifery, Wigginton Road, York Y03 7HE, UK (Requests for offprints to JT) Manuscript accepted 14 October 1992

‘Nurses learn early on in their training not to speak out’ (Mackay in Abbot & Wallace 1990, ~38). To our detriment, the image of the white, young, middle class female nurse remains (Salvage 1985, Wondrak 1989) and media

images of angels or whores often remain unchallenged by the profession (Hoy et al 1986). Nurse teachers have an enormously important role in shaping the future of the profession, but

in many cases remain passive, conservative and hierarchical examples, selecting students who already conform to their own image of what a good nurse should be (Derr & De Long 1982). In fact, education is often designed to keep students from knowing themselves or their environment in any realistic sense (Postman & Weingartner 1972).

Education is more than just the transmission of knowledge, it is also the acquisition of cultural values and beliefs (Shuvall 1980). In short, education cultivates attitudes and character

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70 NURSE EDlJC4I’lON TODAl

traits desired by the teachers (Kaya 1990). Pro- ject 2000 curricula endorse critical thinking, inquiry and reflection, but because teachers are often still entrenched in their own particular image of nursing, the hidden curriculum

ensures that the values and beliefs transmitted remain largely conservative (Wondt-ak 1989) and critical to any kind of educational reform (Field 1989). The existence of the hidden curri- culum is an indisputable fact in all educational settings (Barrow 1978), and it is this covert aspect that influences the attitudes and beliefs of that culture (Pring 1975). Although the covert mes- sages relayed may embody positive beliefs (Barrow 1979), we cannot escape the fact that teachers will reflect their own moral values to the students (Musgrave 197‘2), even when making a conscious effort not to. Teachers often view themselves as having a special slice of reality to impart; this information denotes power and makes the teacher-student relationship inher- ently unequal (Lefrttre et al 1980). Carl Kogers (in Silberman 1972) endorses the view that teaching usually stems from a superior position and as such is a vastly overrated function.

TEACHING FOR SUBVERSION

‘Two of the most important factors determining education’s effectiveness are motivation and change’(Schuller 8c Bengtsson 1977, ~637). If we want nurses to be reflective and enquiring (French 1989), teaching for subversion provides some food for thought f-or nurse educationalists, and may be a feasible proposition for the profes- sion. The inHuence of Paula Freire’s ultra-radi-

cal theories continue to influence adult educa- tors (Evans 1987) and, in conjunction with Postman & Weingartner ( 1969), presents a vision of education that could, and does, reform nurse education. ‘One defeats insidious influence, as one does all forms of indoctrination, by enabling and encouraging people to examine and reflect’ (Barrow 1978, ~139). Friere’s work with the oppressed peasants of South America (even- tually resulting in his imprisonment) has been accused of ‘third-worldliness’, with little rel- evance to western democratic societies (Evans

1987). Although it is much harder to identify the ‘oppressed’ in our society, Freire’s work still has a relevance and vitality from which we could learn much (Harber et al 1984).

CONSCIENTISATION

Freire’s main idea embodied the notion of what he termed ‘conscientisation’, which he defined as ‘learning to perceive social, political, and econ- omic contraditctions, and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality (Freire 1972, p95). A recent strike by Project 2000 students at a northern college of nursing gives us a modern

example - education should not be imposed, but arise from people’s wants. Democracy is essen- tial, achieved not just from equal opportunities, but by preparing a dynamic, non-conformist frame of mind (Locke 1974). According to Freire, education is either for domestication or liberation. The former accepts the values and

norms of the culture, a ‘banking’ concept where the knowledgeable deposit information on

students, whereas education for liberation chal- lenges students to have power over one’s destiny. The nursing literature apparently endorses this, encouraging students to think critically, to chal- lenge the status qua (Apple 1979). Moreover, unassertiveness, low self-confidence and depen- dency correlate significantly with burnout in nurses (Gann 1979). In reality, however, what we hear every day from qualified staff (clinical and teaching) is how difficult Prclject 2000 students

are to cope with, full of questions, yet lacking in basic skills. As yet there is no empirical evidence to support their claim, and one wonders how much is based on truth and how much on insecurity.

Freire fosters teaching political literacy, an awareness of the hidden values of society, and then having the self-confidence and knowledge to seek solutions. Davies (in Harber et al 1984) further contends that Freire’s political literacy is not enough to satisfy individual motivation and to generate social change, that it is too easy to concentrate on easily accessible skills. She pro- poses a functional literacy, in which adults are taught skills such as claiming their rights, with an

NUKSE EIXICA-IION TODAY 7 1

image of self as a person who can learn continu- arguing inconsequentialities, but we are notor-

ally, and in cooperation with others can make iously inept at confronting political issues. Those

decisions that effect change. This would be a who do suddenly find themselves in a com-

refreshing component for nursing curricula. promised, controversial and lonely position. Education teaches us that such decisions come from above (Quinn 1988), but for full participa- tion one needs these functional skills in the THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE students (Davies, in Harber et al 1984).

If we accept that subversive education is at least one way forward for the profession, how does

CRAP DETECTING this translate to the classroom? In this kind of teaching, method cannot be divorced from con-

The other main advocates for subversive tent - ‘the critical content of any learning experi-

teaching were Postman & Weingartner, radicals ence is the method or process through which the

who felt that failure in solving societal problems learning occurs’ (Postman & Weingartner 1969,

might put the survival of society itself in jeo- ~30). The medium is the message, thus emphasis

pardy. Their key concept was a vision of an should be on initiating, challenging and reflec-

education that developed attitudes that could ting (Left&e et al 1980), because the function of

deal adequately with change and critical con- education is to acquire insights and attitudes to

ditions; it should provide competence in apply- help students navigate their way in a confused

ing the best strategies in an uncertain world. world. Two and two might be four, but it can also

Nurses have coped with enormous change over be zero, one or 22 (Cantor 1946). The teacher

the last few years - primary nursing, nursing and student must engage in a process of mutual

process, nursing models, and now Project 2000, enquiry (Knowles 1973), ‘unveiling reality’

but I would dispute that these transitions have together (Freire 1974). Educators should not

occurred smoothly, and agree that for many adapt to, or disrespect, the people’s demands

individuals, change has been accepted merely as (Freire 1972) but, as Postman and Weingartner

a survival mechanism (Salvage 1985). (1969) postulate, if one learns how to ask ques-

Some insight can be gleaned from Postman & tions, one has learnt how to learn, and this is

Weingartner (1969) in that we should be educdt- crucial for survival. Education can never be

ing people to be ‘crap detectors’. Crap detectors neutral (Freire 1972), so the facilitator must

challenge preconceptions and presumptions, stand in the students’ shoes, view things from

and adopt an anthropological perspective - they their side, and communicate his own feelings

are aware of cultural customs and prejudice and, (Kogers in Silberman 1972). Success with these

although they can never be totally free from methods is well documented (Dumont 8c Wax in

partiality, are not insular in their outlook. ‘The Lefrere 1969, Williams & Kennie 1970) and

crap-detector is not to be confused with the without knowing the source, many curricula are

crapper’ (Barrow 1978, p 156). We are all aware influenced by such works (Barrow 1978).

of these negative individuals in the nursing Feminists too may endorse many of these ideas,

profession. Rather than seeing everything as for instance Tuckett (in Evans 1987) highlights

worthless, we should be educating people to the example of women’s studies, where learning

question the intrinsic value of something, rather occurs through experience rather than from

than submit automatically to the dominant hierarchical relationships. After all, feminism is

notion (Postman 8c Weingartner 1969). Postman ‘both a mode of understanding and a call to

& Weingartner were particularly concerned with action’ (Kelly 1988, ~4).

institutional bureaucracy and technology, especially the mass media. Is this so far removed CONCLUSION from nursing issues? In meetings and conversa- tions we spend an inordinate amount of time Teaching for subversion can be criticised for its

72 NUKSEEDUCATION TODA\

idealistic nature and at times vague concepts Harber C, Meighan R, Roberts B (eds) 1984 Alternative

(Evans 1987), and it is not always sufficient to education f’utures. Huh. Rinehart and Winston, WC,rceslC=r

provide questions, some things need specific Hoy K, Moustdfa A H 1986 Ualancing the nurse

answers (Barrow 1978). Friere’s methods have curriculum. D .J Costellow, Tunbridge Wells

been used successfully in the Cape Verde islands Field P A I98Y Implementing change in nurse

but, although widely taught in Brazil and Chile, education. Nurse Education Today 9: 290-299

Freire P 1972 Pedagogy of the oppressed. Penguin,

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Kelly L 198X Surviving sexual violence. Polity, Oxford holistic teaching approach. Education can never Knowle M I Y73 The adult learner. Gulf, Texas

be neutral, so it seems pointless to imagine Lef‘rkre P et al lY80 Unit I&The world of social risk.

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Locke M 1974 Power and politics in the school system political are merely disguising their liberal Routledge and Kegan Paul, London

middle class nature, their unwillingness to really Musgrave P W 1972 The sociology of education.

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i972, py26i). subversive act&y. Penguin, Harmondsworth Print_ R 1975 Knowledge out of control In: Golbv M,

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