<div>Gosh, thanks! I'm trying to learn how to write in that way for such purposes. I have ('have') a blog, perhaps I'll put it up for linking?</div><div> </div><div>Best,</div><div>Sarah<br><br><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">
On Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 9:13 PM, Michael Neary <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:nearymichael@hotmail.com" target="_blank">nearymichael@hotmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid" class="gmail_quote">
<div><div dir="ltr">
I agree with Sandie and Joss.<div><br></div><div>M<br><br><div><div></div>> From: <a href="mailto:sandiestrat@phonecoop.coop" target="_blank">sandiestrat@phonecoop.coop</a><br>> To: <a href="mailto:joss@josswinn.org" target="_blank">joss@josswinn.org</a>; <a href="mailto:simonewright73@googlemail.com" target="_blank">simonewright73@googlemail.com</a><br>
> Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:21:20 +0100<br>> CC: <a href="mailto:ssc@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">ssc@lists.aktivix.org</a><div><div class="h5"><br>> Subject: Re: [SSC] SSC - Response to Journalism student (interview questions)<br>
> <br>> I agree!<br>> Sandie<br>> <br>> ----- Original Message ----- <br>> From: "Joss Winn" <<a href="mailto:joss@josswinn.org" target="_blank">joss@josswinn.org</a>><br>> To: "Sarah Amsler" <<a href="mailto:simonewright73@googlemail.com" target="_blank">simonewright73@googlemail.com</a>><br>
> Cc: <<a href="mailto:ssc@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">ssc@lists.aktivix.org</a>><br>> Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 7:56 PM<br>> Subject: Re: [SSC] SSC - Response to Journalism student (interview <br>
> questions)<br>> <br>> <br>> > This would be great to publish as a blog post! It extends what is already <br>> > on the site in a very positive way.<br>> ><br>> ><br>> > On 30 Apr 2012, at 17:17, Sarah Amsler <<a href="mailto:simonewright73@googlemail.com" target="_blank">simonewright73@googlemail.com</a>> <br>
> > wrote:<br>> ><br>> >> Hello everyone,<br>> >><br>> >> Please find below my response to Angela Cheng, a Journalism student<br>> >> from Taiwan who asked some questions about the SSC for a report she is<br>
> >> writing as part of her course assignment.<br>> >><br>> >> I am planning to send it later this eveing; if you have any comments,<br>> >> please get back to me before then.<br>> >><br>
> >> Best,<br>> >> Sarah<br>> >><br>> >> Hello Angela,<br>> >><br>> >> I've sent your request out to other members of the Social Science<br>> >> Centre, so they may reply independently. I'll try to answer your<br>
> >> questions from my own perspective, but if you want to talk about<br>> >> anything further, please let me know.<br>> >><br>> >> I'd like to say at the outset that these are my own personal<br>
> >> respsonses to the questions -- at least where I don't quote from the<br>> >> Social Science Centre website. It's important for me to emphasise this<br>> >> because we are a group of people who are trying to work collectively<br>
> >> at all levels. Within the group, however, there is a lot of diversity,<br>> >> so different people may answer the questions in different ways. Some<br>> >> of them are in fact still questions that we are discussing and<br>
> >> debating amongst ourselves. So the one thing we do like to say is that<br>> >> no single person can represent the Social Science Centre in its<br>> >> complexity, and that each person offers one representation, their own<br>
> >> (though often one forged through lots of discussion with others).<br>> >><br>> >> 1. What is the main point that the teachers set up The Social Science<br>> >> Centre, Lincoln?<br>
> >><br>> >><br>> >> The Social Science Centre was established in early 2011 by a small<br>> >> group of academics, mainly social scientists, who were concerned about<br>> >> the British Government's decision to both withdraw all public funding<br>
> >> for teaching in the social sciences, humanities and arts, and to raise<br>> >> student tuition fees nearly three hundred per cent to, at present, a<br>> >> maximum of £9000. They were concerned that it would become difficult<br>
> >> or impossible for many people to undertake study in these disciplines,<br>> >> and indeed that some young people (and many older people wishing to<br>> >> return to university) would be unable to pursue higher learning at<br>
> >> all. One major reason for establishing the SSC, therefore, is to<br>> >> provide some way for people who wish to study social science but who<br>> >> cannot pay the new fees, do not want to or are unable to take out<br>
> >> student loans, or are not particularly interested in learning towards<br>> >> a formal credential to be able to do so. Alongside this, however, is<br>> >> the need that I think many educators feel to work with students and to<br>
> >> teach and learn in creative, cooperative, non-authoritarian and<br>> >> non-bureaucratised ways that are not always possible within<br>> >> universities today. The increasing financialisation and marketisation<br>
> >> of universities in this country and around the world are altering what<br>> >> higher education means, what knowledge is for, and how people learn.<br>> >> In some institutions, ways of knowing and learning that are not<br>
> >> economically efficient or profitable in different ways are<br>> >> marginalised or prohibited. Languages of critical education, critical<br>> >> pedagogy, are often silenced where discourses of 'employablity' become<br>
> >> dominant. And the worth of education -- of different universities,<br>> >> courses, schools of thought, methodologies, teachers and students --<br>> >> is now often measured through quantitative metrics such as league<br>
> >> tables which encourage competition rather than collaboration between<br>> >> all of the above. So, we are working both against these negative<br>> >> trends in education, which lead towards tying knowledge, research and<br>
> >> higher learning to the needs of capital and to the already-powerful,<br>> >> and towards the creation of alternative forms of critical and<br>> >> cooperative education in our own locality.<br>
> >><br>> >> The Social Science Centre is very much a 'situated' or local project;<br>> >> it is based in the city of Lincoln in the UK, and our hope is to be as<br>> >> active as possible across the city itself -- in community and social<br>
> >> centres, museums, public spaces, spaces that should be public.<br>> >> However, we are also inspired by and in contact with other people<br>> >> working on other kinds of alternative higher education projects in<br>
> >> other parts of the UK, and overseas.<br>> >><br>> >> For a selected things that have been written about the SSC to date,<br>> >> see <a href="http://socialsciencecentre.org.uk/documents/" target="_blank">http://socialsciencecentre.org.uk/documents/</a>. The Stanistreet<br>
> >> (2012) article might give some background; the Burgin (2011) may give<br>> >> a hint at historical precendents and histories of<br>> >> radical/autonomous/cooperative education.<br>> >><br>
> >> 2. When is the exact time that the courses start? And How will it carry <br>> >> out?<br>> >><br>> >> We are planning to begin courses in October 2012. This will work<br>> >> slightly differently from a typical university course, in that the<br>
> >> first weeks are likely to be spent discussing the concept of each<br>> >> course and negotiating its main themes, structure and curriculum.<br>> >> There are also likely to be different kinds of courses -- running in<br>
> >> the evening, or on weekends, or perhaps in other blocks of time,<br>> >> depending on the needs and desires of those who are involved in them.<br>> >><br>> >> Prior to this, in the summer, we'll be organising workshops and<br>
> >> seminars around the ideas of curriculum, cooperative education,<br>> >> pedagogy, and other issues that are relevant for our work, and for<br>> >> developing deeper understandings of both our work and the context in<br>
> >> which we are working. There is a sense, I think, of needing to learn<br>> >> to learn, and build to be able to build. There is a mindfulness within<br>> >> the Centre that the sort of project we are imagining not only requires<br>
> >> commitments of time and energy from those involved, but because it is<br>> >> in many cases very different from what we and others are used to, it<br>> >> also demands a lot of learning along the way. So while classes will<br>
> >> begin in October, the process of their development precedes this point<br>> >> in time, and will overflow it as the courses and the Centre develop.<br>> >> I, at least, am looking forward to being taken in not-yet-imagined<br>
> >> directions as they do.<br>> >><br>> >> 3. How do the institution operate in the situation that students don<br>> >> have to pay the fees?<br>> >><br>> >> As it is not an institution as such, we have a lot of flexibility in<br>
> >> how we operate. The Social Science Centre runs mainly on the energy,<br>> >> commitment and generosity of its members. None of the people teaching<br>> >> are being paid for our work. Scholars have different reasons for<br>
> >> volunteering their time. Some see it as am intellecutal or social and<br>> >> political responsibility; others are in positions, for example being<br>> >> retired, where the need for such payment is not so acute. Members of<br>
> >> the Social Science Centre, whether student-scholars or<br>> >> teacher-scholars, are encouraged to contribute to the cooperative if<br>> >> they feel able to. We recommend a sum of one hour of a person's montly<br>
> >> wage (e.g., if a person earns £6 per hour, they are invited to<br>> >> contribute £6 per month to the cooperative). This money is then used<br>> >> for materials, paying for spaces to hold classes, purchasing library<br>
> >> cards for students, or the like. But this is a voluntary contribution<br>> >> and does not affect anyone's membership rights. As an example, it<br>> >> costs £5 per hour to hire a space in a local community centre. It<br>
> >> costs approximately £5 to make copies of a book chapter or article for<br>> >> 10 people. It costs nothing to find paper to write on and pens to<br>> >> write with. Various people in the Centre have other sorts of<br>
> >> technologies of their own -- computers, printers, etc. We are not<br>> >> paying fees to external organisations for accreditation, 'marketing'<br>> >> or etc. And above all, there is a wealth of collective skill,<br>
> >> experience and knowledge -- really in any group that organsises<br>> >> themselves -- which, when pulled together and worked with, makes many<br>> >> things possible that may seem not so.<br>
> >><br>> >> 4. How many students will the institution recruit? How is the<br>> >> evaluation now? (Is there many students want to enter to The Social<br>> >> Science Centre, Lincoln?)<br>
> >><br>> >> We would be delighted if as many as twenty people joined the Centre in<br>> >> order to undertake study and research in the autumn. Because there is<br>> >> a small group of teacher-scholars at the moment, the idea is to start<br>
> >> and perhaps to remain small. Thus far, we have had expressions of<br>> >> interest from more people than this, and I think many people are in<br>> >> the process of seeing what the project is about and how it works;<br>
> >> above all, whether it's something that could be meaningful for them.<br>> >> It is likely not to be interesting for people who are focused on<br>> >> earning a formal, accredited university degree. It is likely to be<br>
> >> more interesting for people who desire a cooperative,<br>> >> non-instrumentalised, non-hierarchical and really alternative kind<br>> >> higher education, and who want to participate actively in making such<br>
> >> opportunities possible for others. That being said, there is no<br>> >> either-or relationship between this and formal university studies; I<br>> >> have spoken to some people who plan to undertake both simultaneously.<br>
> >><br>> >> Personally, I'm hugely excited about the project. It offers space for<br>> >> me to teach and to learn with others from a diversity of social<br>> >> positions about the insights of sociology, philosophy and education<br>
> >> that I believe to be of deep significance for engaging critically and<br>> >> ethically in the social world. It is already also a type of space<br>> >> where we can learn to reinvent our relationships with each other; to<br>
> >> cultivate ways of working with others, speaking and listening,<br>> >> thinking and producing in ways that are not profit-driven,<br>> >> competitive, bureaucratised and precarious. This is not an easy<br>
> >> process, of course; a brief glance at the history of autonomous and<br>> >> cooperative projects in education, ecology and politics will give an<br>> >> immediate indication of the contradictions and difficulties. But for<br>
> >> those who believe that the present organisation of society, and many<br>> >> of the current ways of defining and organising higher education are<br>> >> themselves unsustainable, the alternative should to work towards<br>
> >> something better. The Social Science Centre is part of this wider<br>> >> project, and speaking personally, has opened up new windows of<br>> >> possibility.<br>> >><br>> >> It might be a nice idea if you wrote back again in, e.g., November, or<br>
> >> in January, to see what's happened since today.<br>> >><br>> >> 5. Please help me to find some students who want to enter to the<br>> >> institution. I would need their opinions.<br>
> >><br>> >> I have sent your request out to a number of people. If they haven't<br>> >> replied to you, I will try to contact them again.<br>> >><br>> >> I hope this is helpful for your report. I'm sure you don't need this<br>
> >> advice at all, but you should of course try to find some critical<br>> >> questions and comments about the Social Science Centre, in order to<br>> >> broaden and criticalise the perspective. There are a number of really<br>
> >> pressing debates in general about the notions of 'collectivity',<br>> >> 'cooperatives', 'autonomy', 'radical education', 'critical pedagogy',<br>> >> and etc., as well as problems of social inequalitie, representation,<br>
> >> hidden hierarchies, the role of the university in society, the meaning<br>> >> of higher education, and etc. Any of these would be worth exploring;<br>> >> they are all issues and problems we are discussing in the Centre.<br>
> >><br>> >> All best,<br>> >> Sarah<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> On 4/29/12, Sandie Stratford <<a href="mailto:sandiestrat@phonecoop.coop" target="_blank">sandiestrat@phonecoop.coop</a>> wrote:<br>
> >>> I agree this makes excellent material for a discussion. Thank you <br>> >>> Megan, I<br>> >>> found your suggestions very coherent. We must keep our ideals [sic]<br>> >>> polished. But I share Joss and others' anxiety about biting off more <br>
> >>> than<br>> >>> we can chew, if wide publicity brings large numbers on board. Much as I<br>> >>> want more people to be involved, if that's not a contradiction.<br>> >>><br>
> >>> Sandie<br>> >>> ----- Original Message -----<br>> >>> From: Sarah Amsler<br>> >>> To: <a href="mailto:ssc@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">ssc@lists.aktivix.org</a><br>
> >>> Sent: Friday, April 27, 2012 12:03 PM<br>> >>> Subject: Re: [SSC] SSC Digest, Vol 16, Issue 42<br>> >>><br>> >>><br>> >>> I think a great comment and suggestion from Megan, thanks!<br>
> >>><br>> >>> We could actually use these statements to play with when we <br>> >>> meet...which<br>> >>> do people feel close to, common themes and differences, talking around<br>
> >>> them...<br>> >>><br>> >>> Best,<br>> >>> Sarah<br>> >>><br>> >>><br>> >>> ------------------------------<br>> >>><br>
> >>> Message: 3<br>> >>> Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:23:22 +0100<br>> >>> From: "Megan Robertson" <<a href="mailto:megan@medals.org.uk" target="_blank">megan@medals.org.uk</a>><br>
> >>> To: <<a href="mailto:ssc@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">ssc@lists.aktivix.org</a>><br>> >>> Subject: [SSC] Media stuff<br>> >>> Message-ID: <CC29A156A1AD439DA30C38973DFEA579@mexal><br>
> >>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"<br>> >>><br>> >>> May an 'outsider' comment, please?<br>> >>><br>> >>> Having discovered you just yesterday through a BBC website article,<br>
> >>> having<br>> >>> had no idea of your existence before then, I would hope that you <br>> >>> would<br>> >>> grasp<br>> >>> any suitable opportunity to raise your profile through the media.<br>
> >>><br>> >>> It will, however, be important for you to decide just what you think <br>> >>> you<br>> >>> are<br>> >>> as a collective organisation, and to ensure that you present <br>
> >>> yourselves<br>> >>> accordingly.<br>> >>><br>> >>> So, what are you?<br>> >>><br>> >>> People who want to share knowledge in a structured way, by offering<br>
> >>> 'courses' in subjects in which you are knowledgeable in a manner<br>> >>> accessible<br>> >>> to anyone who wants to learn.<br>> >>><br>> >>> People who don't like the way in which higher education is developing<br>
> >>> and<br>> >>> who want to offer an alternative.<br>> >>><br>> >>> People who see themselves as 'activists' seeking to destroy existing<br>> >>> modes<br>
> >>> of providing education and replacing them with their own vision.<br>> >>><br>> >>> People who do not care for the increasing 'commercialisation' of<br>> >>> education<br>
> >>> and so want to offer it for free...<br>> >>><br>> >>> Woolly-headed idealists? :)<br>> >>><br>> >>> Some, all or none of the above?<br>> >>><br>
> >>> Different things will attract different people, so you will also need<br>> >>> to<br>> >>> consider the sort of people that you want to attract. (You may at <br>> >>> this<br>
> >>> point<br>> >>> decide you'd rather I went away!)<br>> >>><br>> >>> For what it's worth, I followed up the BBC story and stuck my nose in<br>> >>> because I am passionate about the provision of excellent education <br>
> >>> that<br>> >>> inspires learners, and as an e-learning specialist I'm fascinated <br>> >>> about<br>> >>> 'alternate' ways of sharing knowledge and skills.<br>
> >>><br>> >>> (I also happen to be unemployed, so am always looking for projects <br>> >>> that<br>> >>> might want to make use of my skills... at least, until I find someone<br>
> >>> who'll<br>> >>> pay me! Until then, and even beyond, interesting not-for-profit <br>> >>> projects<br>> >>> can<br>> >>> have those skills for nothing.)<br>
> >>><br>> >>> A few thoughts from an outsider looking in, read, discard at your<br>> >>> pleasure.<br>> >>><br>> >>> Megan Robertson<br>> >>> FBCS CITP<br>
> >>><br>> >>> "By doubting we come to questioning, and by questioning we come to<br>> >>> perceive<br>> >>> the truth" (Abelard)<br>> >>><br>> >>><br>
> >>><br>> >>><br>> >>><br>> >>> ------------------------------<br>> >>><br>> >>> _______________________________________________<br>> >>> SSC mailing list<br>
> >>> <a href="mailto:SSC@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">SSC@lists.aktivix.org</a><br>> >>> <a href="https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc" target="_blank">https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc</a><br>
> >>><br>> >>><br>> >>> End of SSC Digest, Vol 16, Issue 42<br>> >>> ***********************************<br>> >>><br>> >>><br>> >>><br>
> >>><br>> >>><br>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>> >>><br>> >>><br>> >>> _______________________________________________<br>
> >>> SSC mailing list<br>> >>> <a href="mailto:SSC@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">SSC@lists.aktivix.org</a><br>> >>> <a href="https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc" target="_blank">https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc</a><br>
> >>><br>> >><br>> >> _______________________________________________<br>> >> SSC mailing list<br>> >> <a href="mailto:SSC@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">SSC@lists.aktivix.org</a><br>
> >> <a href="https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc" target="_blank">https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc</a><br>> ><br>> > _______________________________________________<br>> > SSC mailing list<br>
> > <a href="mailto:SSC@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">SSC@lists.aktivix.org</a><br>> > <a href="https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc" target="_blank">https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc</a><br>
> > <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> _______________________________________________<br>> SSC mailing list<br>> <a href="mailto:SSC@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">SSC@lists.aktivix.org</a><br>> <a href="https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc" target="_blank">https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc</a><br>
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