Dear Friends,<br>From Morphou, northern Cyprus, I wanted to endorse Laurence's comments. Although I've been on the SSC list from the beginning and in silent solidarity for this kind of new educational promise, I've not yet expressed how "thoughtful, reflective, and appropriately
critical" the whole approach has been. <br><br>Let the flourishing continue ...<br><br>regards<br><br>Julian Saurin <br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 1 May 2012 19:19, Laurence Davis <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ldavis@oceanfree.net" target="_blank">ldavis@oceanfree.net</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Calibri'">
<div>I’ve just seen this post now, and wanted to add my wholehearted endorsement
(from Cork, Ireland). The replies are thoughtful, reflective, and appropriately
critical, and should absolutely be publicised. It’s wonderful to see the
creative process that is the SSC unfolding in so many unexpected and challenging
ways!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Laurence</div>
<div style="font-size:small;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:'Calibri';display:inline;font-weight:normal">
<div style="FONT:10pt tahoma">
<div> </div>
<div style="BACKGROUND:#f5f5f5">
<div><b>From:</b> <a title="simonewright73@googlemail.com" href="mailto:simonewright73@googlemail.com" target="_blank">Sarah Amsler</a> </div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, May 01, 2012 12:04 AM</div>
<div><b>To:</b> <a title="nearymichael@hotmail.com" href="mailto:nearymichael@hotmail.com" target="_blank">Michael Neary</a> </div>
<div><b>Cc:</b> <a title="ssc@lists.aktivix.org" href="mailto:ssc@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">ssc@lists.aktivix.org</a> </div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> Re: [SSC] SSC - Response to Journalism student (interview
questions)</div></div></div>
<div> </div></div>
<div style="font-size:small;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:'Calibri';display:inline;font-weight:normal">
<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="BORDER-LEFT:rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid;MARGIN:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;PADDING-LEFT:1ex" class="gmail_quote">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">I agree with Sandie and Joss.
<div> </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><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>> >>
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>
><br>> > _______________________________________________<br>> >
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Dr. Julian Saurin<br><br>Assoc. Prof. of International Relations (Visiting)<br>Middle East Technical University, NCC<br>Guzelyurt<br>Northern Cyprus<br><br><a href="mailto:julian@metu.edu.tr">julian@metu.edu.tr</a><br>
<br>Programme Webpages :<br><a href="http://www.psir.ncc.metu.edu.tr/">http://www.psir.ncc.metu.edu.tr/</a><br><br>Personal Webpage :<br><a href="http://www.psir.ncc.metu.edu.tr/profiles/saurin.php">http://www.psir.ncc.metu.edu.tr/profiles/saurin.php</a><br>