Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The ‘Incompetent Subject’ in the Kingdom of Technical Terms. A Possible Role of Pedagogy in the Study of Cultural Traits

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Understanding Cultural Traits

  • 764 Accesses

Abstract

Education is not only a process studied by pedagogy, and it does not come about only in ‘educational environments’. We are continually educated and we often are educators of others in our everyday life. What’s more, all social institutions can be considered educational as they do always influence and change our ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. Our ideas about education and all educational practices are typical expressions of contexts where we spend our life. As such, they are to be considered cultural. Anyway, in every historical and social background it is possible to make some specific cultural traits emerge. Moving from my recent pedagogical research, I show some cultural traits that are operating to reduce the freedom of subjects in our society, and show some possible alternatives.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    By “education” I mean any process in which people learn something or change their ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. However, the concept will be better explained during this first paragraph.

  2. 2.

    Massa claims that an educational method is a web of different educational elements (spaces, times, the role of the bodies, every kind of activities, rituals, kinds of interactions and communications, languages, words, rules, etc.), organized in a specific way.

  3. 3.

    Thinking of education as something of strictly related with history and society, so deeply cultural, makes reference to some of the most famous thinkers of the world: Marx, Engels (1845, 1845–1846), Marx (1857–1858), Freud (1909, 1913, 1915–1917, 1925, 1929), and also Rousseau (1762), Dewey (1916, 1929), Althusser (1965a), Althusser and Balibar (1965b), Horkheimer and Marcuse (1965), Horkheimer (1968), and Foucault (1968a, b, 1969). Among some of the most famous educationalists claiming this way of thinking about education we can remember: Makarenko (1933–1935), Milani (1967), Freire (1968), and Massa (1975, 1986). Further, among some great psychologists, we can remember Bruner (1990). Finally, among contemporary psychoanalysts, you can see Voltolin (2013) [see also Bonazzi, this volume].

  4. 4.

    I refer to Panebianco and Serrelli’s words, when, presenting this book, they wrote: ‘UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2 November 2001) defines culture with an emphasis on cultural features: “culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group”, encompassing, “in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs”.’

  5. 5.

    To better understand how some educational methods and perspectives change according to different historical moments see Ariès (1960). An English translation of the book, Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life, is available from 1962.

  6. 6.

    Connection: Chapter 4 talks about museum exhibits that instruct people on health and hygiene. These artifacts deliver, along with scientific notions, specific views about man and woman, their relationships with themselves and with society. These deeper messages can be unseen, showing that, even in explicitly instructional contexts, there is varying awareness about messages or ‘traits’ that are transmitted.

  7. 7.

    Connection: All this Chapter closely relates to the idea of individual cultural traits, transmitted from agent to agent through institutions and exercise. Somehow related to this, is the “toolbox view” of culture, presented in Sect. 2.4 (see also the Connection therein).

  8. 8.

    Schön (1983) particularly claims this point of view. Also in Italian debate we can find a lot of positions based on a constructivist perspective. Some examples are Kaneklin and Scaratti (1998), Pontecorvo et al. (1991), and Reggio (2011).

  9. 9.

    Farr and Moscovici (CitationRef CitationID="CR15">1984</CitationRef) particularly argue the meaning and the role of the human beliefs. Another interesting work about the human beliefs is Lascioli 2001. This Italian author lets us understand how the human beliefs play a crucial role in the treatments of the persons with some disabilities.

  10. 10.

    Connection: on this view of education and transmission, see Chap. 6.

  11. 11.

    Even if the most important educational perspective linked with psychoanalysis is rooted in Freudian tradition (there is also an Italian contribution – Gelli and Arcidiacono (1994) – in which the authors move from the Freudian tradition to develop an educational approach for teenagers within schools), there are different educational positions linked with other psychoanalytic theories. Winnicott (1993) is an example. Again, in Italy, Mantovani et al. (2000) move from the Bowlbian attachment theory to develop an educational method for nursery schools.

  12. 12.

    An Italian study, Mottana (1993), is of particular value in showing how many possible affective dynamics could be generated from an educational situation.

  13. 13.

    Massa (2001) sustains that educators should also make some constant “affective exercises” (the Italian expression is “atletica affettiva” and it comes from Antonin Artaud’s thought), in order to become aware of the affective dynamics which deeply influence every educational process.

  14. 14.

    Here, in order to follow the course of my reasoning, I have changed the order of presentation of Fenwick’s study.

  15. 15.

    Thus, at the moment, this perspective has the same educational consequences of a systemic point of view. In order to understand peculiarities of a systemic gaze, see Bateson (1979). Again, in Formenti (2000) and Scabini and Cigoli (2000), two Italian contributions, you can find a systemic way to look at family and also some educational consequences deriving from that gaze.

  16. 16.

    Borgatti and Cross (2003), in their A Relational View of Information Seeking and Learning in Social Networks, move just from the Participation perspective in order to show how communities, activities and tools interact in order to produce a particular kind of learning.

  17. 17.

    Among the Italian authors, Demetrio et al. (2001) argue that both women and men should become aware about the sexual and gender differences. They also write that those differences should start to get a word in the different stories and discourses. Mapelli and Bozzi Tarizzo (1998) sustain the necessity to early introduce teenagers to the sexual and gender differences during the school time.

  18. 18.

    This point will be specifically treated in the next paragraphs.

  19. 19.

    I have particularly argued for this role of Pedagogy in Brambilla (2012a).

  20. 20.

    Connection: Compare this analysis of contemporary cultural traits with Sects. 6.3 and 10.3, whose notion of cultural traits entails that they can be recognized only retrospectively and on a large observation scale.

  21. 21.

    By “exercise” I mean when people are kept in activities through a series of acts that develop, strengthen and make them capable of performing certain functions.

  22. 22.

    Massa (2003) argues deep educational power of the communities since the time of the communities where the “Medieval monks” and also the “authors of manuscripts of the Dead Sea” lived in.

  23. 23.

    The original Italian expression is “il possesso di sé stesso”.

  24. 24.

    “il suo fine”.

  25. 25.

    “perché”.

  26. 26.

    “la sua ragione d’essere”.

  27. 27.

    “il senso”.

  28. 28.

    “il pernio”.

  29. 29.

    “sufficienza” and “calcolo”.

  30. 30.

    In order to better understand this concept see in particular Schön (1983).

  31. 31.

    In Good (1994) you can find a very interesting and critical point of view about hospital interactions. Also Zannini (2001), an Italian author, shows the various ways to think to health and illness, and consequently to care people. In her opinion it is necessary to educate the hospital workers to the different possibilities to interact with patients.

  32. 32.

    A typical Italian example of this kind of TV program is SOS Tata (derived from an American program: Nanny 911). You can find it on one of the main Italian TV channels.

  33. 33.

    There is a special TV channel, significantly called Real Time, which is almost completely dedicated to this kind of program.

  34. 34.

    In this article I have especially argued about the issue of counseling and consultation, and particularly about the issue of the pedagogical consultancy.

  35. 35.

    One of the most famous approaches of business consultation is described in Schein (1987).

  36. 36.

    The original Italian expression is “La lingua internazionale sarà la lingua dei termini tecnici”.

  37. 37.

    “La riduzione della persona”.

References

  • Adorno, T. W. (1973). Philosophische frühschriften. In R. Tiedemann (Ed.), Gesammelte Schriften (Vol. 1, pp. 325–371). Frankfurt a. M: Suhrkamp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Althusser, L. (1965). Pour Marx. Paris: François Maspero.

    Google Scholar 

  • Althusser, L., & Balibar, E. (1965). Lire Le Capital. Paris: Librairie François Maspero.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ariès, P. (1960). L’enfant et la vie familiale sous l’Ancien Régime. Paris: Seuil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Artaud, A. (1964). Le théâtre et son double. Paris: Editions Gallimard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bateson, G. (1979). Mind and nature. A necessary unity. New York: E.P. Dutton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borgatti, S. P., & Cross, R. (2003). A relational view of information seeking and learning in social networks. Management Science, 49(4), 432–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brambilla, R. (2009). La differenza pedagogica. Consistenza e funzionamento del “campo” educativo. PhD thesis in Human Sciences, University of Milano - Bicocca. http://hdl.handle.net/10281/25187

  • Brambilla, R. (2012a). Critica della pedagogia e teoria critica dell’educazione. Costruzioni Psicoanalitiche, year XII(23), 105–120. http://www.francoangeli.it/riviste/Scheda_rivista.aspx?IDArticolo=45266

  • Brambilla, R. (2012b). Disorientamento educativo e consulenza pedagogica. Alcune coordinate di intervento. MeTis: Mondi Educativi. Temi Indagini Suggestioni, 2(1). http://www.metis.progedit.com/anno-ii-numero-1/75-ex-ordium/232-disorientamento-educativo-e-consulenza-pedagogica-alcune-coordinate-di-intervento.html

  • Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demetrio, D., Giusti, M., Iori, V., Mapelli, B., Piussi, A. M., & Ulivieri, S. (2001). Con voce diversa. Pedagogia e differenza sessuale e di genere. Milano: Guerini Studio.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. New York: The Macmillan Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1929). The sources of a science of education. New York: Horace Liveright.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farr, R. M., & Moscovici, S. (Eds.). (1984). Social representations. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenwick, T. J. (2000). Expanding conceptions of experiential learning: A review of the five contemporary perspectives on cognition. Adult Education Quarterly, 50, 243–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Formenti, L. (2000). Pedagogia della famiglia. Milano: Guerini Studio.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1961). Folie et déraison: histoire de la folie à l’âge classique. Paris: Plon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1968a). Sur l’archéologie des sciences. Réponse au cercle d’épistémologie. Paris: Gallimard, ed. 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1968b). Réponse à une question. Paris: Gallimard, ed. 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1969). L’archéologie du savoir. Paris: Editions Gallimard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1975). Surveiller et punir. Naissance de la prison. Paris: Editions Gallimard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1999). Les anormaux. Cours au Collège de France 1974–1975. Paris: Gallimard Le Seuil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1968). Pedagogia do oprimido. New York: Continuum, ed. 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (1909). Five lectures on psychoanalysis. In Sigmund Freud’s complete work, vol. VI (first Italian edition: Opere di Sigmund Freud. Torino: Bollati Boringhieri 1976–1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (1913). Das Interesse an der psychoanalyse. In Sigmund Freud’s complete work, vol. VII (first Italian edition: Opere di Sigmund Freud. Torino: Bollati Boringhieri 1976–1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (1915–1917). Vorlesungen zur einführung in die psychoanalyse. In Sigmund Freud’s complete work, vol. VIII (first Italian edition: Opere di Sigmund Freud. Torino: Bollati Boringhieri 1976–1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (1925). Geleitwort: A. aichhorn, werwahrloste jugend. In Sigmund Freud’s complete work, vol. X (first Italian edition: Opere di Sigmund Freud. Torino: Bollati Boringhieri 1976–1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (1929). Das unbehagen in der kultur. In Sigmund Freud’s complete work, vol. X (first Italian edition: Opere di Sigmund Freud. Torino: Bollati Boringhieri 1976–1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gelli, B. R., & Arcidiacono, C. (Eds.). (1994). Psicologia di comunità ed educazione sessuale. Verso un modello di educazione socioaffettiva-sessuale. Milano: FrancoAngeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Good, B. J. (1994). Medicine, rationality, and experience: An anthropological perspective. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grotowski, J. (1968). Towards a poor theatre. Oslo: Odin Teatret Forlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horkheimer, M. (1968). Traditionelle und kritische theorie. Frankfurt am Main: Fischer Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horkheimer, M., & Marcuse, H. (1965). Philosophie und kritische theorie. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneklin, C., & Scaratti, G. (Eds.). (1998). Formazione e Narrazione. Costruzione di significato e processi di cambiamento personale e organizzativo. Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lascioli, A. (2001). Handicap e pregiudizio. Le radici culturali. Milano: Franco Angeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makarenko, A. S. (1933–1935). Pedagoghiceskaia poema [The pedagogical poem].

    Google Scholar 

  • Mantovani, S., Restuccia Saitta, L., & Bove, C. (2000). Attaccamento e inserimento. Stili e storie delle relazioni al nido. Milano: Franco Angeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mapelli, B., & Bozzi Tarizzo, G. (1998). Educare alla sessualità. Guida per insegnanti della scuola secondaria superiore. Firenze: La Nuova Italia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marx, K. (1857–1858). Grundrisse der kritik der politischen ökonomie (first Italian edition: Marx, K. Lineamenti fondamentali della critica dell'economia politica, 1857–1858, 2 voll., Firenze: La nuova Italia, 1968–1970).

    Google Scholar 

  • Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1845). Die heilige familie (Italian edition: Marx, K., & Engels, F. Opere complete. Roma: Editori Riunioni, 1972–1990).

    Google Scholar 

  • Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1845–1846). Die deutsche ideologie (Italian edition: Marx, K., & Engels, F. Opere complete. Roma: Editori Riunioni, 1972–1990).

    Google Scholar 

  • Massa, R. (1975). La scienza pedagogica. Epistemologia e metodo educativo. Firenze: La Nuova Italia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Massa, R. (1986). Le tecniche e i corpi. Verso una scienza dell’educazione. Milano: Unicopli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Massa, R. (Ed.). (1990). Istituzioni di pedagogia e scienze dell’educazione. Roma/Bari: Laterza.

    Google Scholar 

  • Massa, R. (Ed.). (1991). Saperi, scuola, formazione. Materiali per la formazione del pedagogista. Milano: Unicopli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Massa, R. (2001). La peste e il teatro. In F. Antonacci & F. Cappa (Eds.), Riccardo Massa. Lezioni su La peste, il teatro, l’educazione (pp. 15–95). Milano: FrancoAngeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Massa, R. (2002). L’esperienza della follia nel trattamento educativo e nel discorso pedagogico. In P. Barone, J. Orsenigo, & C. Palmieri (Eds.), Riccardo Massa. L’esperienza della follia (pp. 15–203). Milano: FrancoAngeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Massa, R. (2003). Residenzialità e corporeità tra psichiatria e pedagogia. In M. Rabboni (Ed.), Residenzialità. Luoghi di vita, incontri di saperi. Milano: Franco Angeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  • Michelstaedter, C. (1982). La persuasione e la rettorica. Milano: Adelphi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milani, L. (1967). Lettera a una professoressa (a cura della Scuola di Barbiana). Firenze: Libreria Editrice Fiorentina.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mottana, P. (1993). Formazione e affetti. Il contributo della psicoanalisi allo studio e alla elaborazione dei processi di apprendimento. Roma: Armando Editore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papi, F. (2001). Sull’educazione. Milano: Edizioni Ghibli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pontecorvo, C., Ajello, A. M., & Zucchermaglio, C. (1991). Discutendo si impara. Interazione sociale e conoscenza a scuola. Roma: La Nuova Italia Scientifica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Recalcati, M. (2012). Ritratti del desiderio. Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reggio, P. (2011). Il quarto sapere. Guida all’apprendimento esperienziale (L’apprendimento esperienziale, Vol. 1). Roma: Carocci.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau, J. J. (1762). Emile ou de l’éducation. It. ed.: Emilio o dell’educazione. Milano: Oscar Mondadori. 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scabini, E., & Cigoli, V. (2000). Il famigliare. Legami, simboli e transizioni. Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein, E. H. (1987). Process consultation. Lessons for managers and consultants. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflexive practitioner. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voltolin, A. (2013). Il rifugio e la prigione. La psicoanalisi tra clinica e critica. Milano: Mimesis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice. Learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Winnicott, D. W. (1993). Talking to parents. Boston: Merloyd Lawrence Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zannini, L. (2001). Salute, malattia e cura. Teorie e percorsi di clinica della formazione per gli operatori sociosanitari. Milano: Franco Angeli.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Here, I would thank Emanuele Serrelli and Fabrizio Panebianco for the possibility to participate in this interdisciplinary book. Thanks in particular to Emanuele Serrelli for his personal esteem and for the interest he has often expressed for my studies. Thank you to Paola Manciagli for having introduced me to Carlo Michelstaedter’s thought, for all her patient, critical readings, but above all because I can always communicate, share and discuss my thoughts and ideas with her. Thanks to Sandra Castoldi because she is always present when I need help. Finally, thanks to Adriano Voltolin and Daniele Sartori for some important bibliographical advice.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CISEPS – Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Economics, Psychology and Social Sciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Milan, Italy

    Rossana Brambilla

Authors
  1. Rossana Brambilla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rossana Brambilla .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Paris School of Economics, Paris, France

    Fabrizio Panebianco

  2. CISEPS-CenterforInterdisciplinaryStudies, University of Milano - Bicocca, Milano, Italy

    Emanuele Serrelli

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Brambilla, R. (2016). The ‘Incompetent Subject’ in the Kingdom of Technical Terms. A Possible Role of Pedagogy in the Study of Cultural Traits. In: Panebianco, F., Serrelli, E. (eds) Understanding Cultural Traits. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24349-8_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24349-8_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-24347-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24349-8

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation