EDUC 6132

The central role of the body in curriculum, teaching, and learning is often overlooked. This course explores the histories and trajectories of different bodies in education, including, but not limited to, Indigenous bodies, Black bodies, bodies with disabilities, and fat bodies, both locally and globally. Attention will be given to the social construction of different bodies and the body's importance in both overt and covert curricula within educational theories and pedagogies, as well as pedagogical practices. We will also examine theories that emphasize the body's role in reproducing privilege and othering in education, such as Butler's theory of performativity, Foucault's theory of bodily inscription, and Bourdieu's theory of habitus. By critically acknowledging the body's place in educational discourse and practices, we open up new possibilities for decolonizing bodies and transforming schools into more socially just spaces for all bodies.