1. Shree Prasad Devkota
M. Phil. (Development Studies)
First Semester
Power and Pedagogy
Kathmandu University
School of Education
Balkumari, Lalitpur
2013
05/17/13 1spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
2. • Power and its dimensions
• Pedagogy
• Language as means of power
• Types of power in pedagogy
• Hidden power in pedagogy (Nepalese context)
• Consequences of power in pedagogy (Nepalese
context)
• Conclusion and further discussion
Presentation outline
05/17/13 2spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
3. Power means the ability to make decisions
and put them into practice – to be in control.
Power is the vital part needed to make
policies and institutions work effectively.
(CARE Nepal, 2004)
The ability or capacity to perform or act
efficiently and have some kind of control in
the respective environment.
Power
05/17/13 3spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
4. Sources and types of power
Sources of power:
Politics, property and prestige
(education, position, status etc)
Types of power:
political and social, economical, religious
and cultural; and ancestral
05/17/13 4spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
5. Level of power relation:
There exist a power relation between
people at household, community and
national level. This relationship is
historic and deep rooted.
Form of power relation:
The power relation exists in terms of :
Gender, Caste, Class, Ethnicity, Religion,
Region/geography
Level and Form of power relation
05/17/13 5spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
6. •Pedagogy is the integrated form of
curriculum, teaching learning activities,
hidden curriculum, instructional strategies,
theories and so forth.
• The principles, practice, or profession of
teaching
• The activities of educating or instructing;
that impart knowledge or skill
(http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pedagogy)
Pedagogy
05/17/13 6spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
7. • Language that reinforces knowledge can
come through the way of stories, memories,
songs, proverb etc
• Language, Culture and Biotic factors are
intrinsically linked or have mutual
relationship.
• Language as medium to understand
particular culture and/or manifestations of
behavior, (L. D. Awasthi, 1st
April, 2011, M.
Phil. class lecture)
• With the gradual loss of some language, we
will be loosing priceless knowledge.
Language as means of pedagogy
05/17/13 7spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
8. Types of power in pedagogy
Intrinsic (what it is?) - being power
Extrinsic (what it has?) – having power
Functional (what it can do?) – position/ use power
According to Awasthi, 2004,
Nepali language “is” rich, high class, standard,
graceful, diverse, noble, pure, sweet, interesting.
Nepali “has” textbooks, reference materials,
dictionaries, rich literature, authors, writers,
poets, trained teachers, experts, scholars, state
support, money and so on.
“can do” are people-to-people contact, mass
communication, religion etc. moreover it is mean
to promote national identity.05/17/13 8spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
10. • National anthem (particularly of previous
national anthem of Nepal)
• Photograph of King and Queen in the text book.
• History of Shah dynasty in the curriculum and
course book
• State ruling system as a separate and
compulsory course i.e. “Panchayat” during
Panchayat era.
Hidden power in pedagogy (Nepalese
context)
05/17/13 10spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
11. • Due to dominating role of Nepali language, the gaps
between ruler and ruled have widen leading to social,
economic and political inequalities.
• Linguistic diversity is at risk and minority languages
are in threat.
• Medium of education as medium of power
• NNS student's dropout, repetition and failure rates is
higher
• Contradiction and inconsistency between the
constitution and the education act: “The medium of
instruction shall be Nepali. However, education at the
primary level may be provided through mother
tongues…” (Clause 7 of the education act)
(Awasthi, 2004)
Consequences of power in pedagogy (Nepalese
context)
05/17/13 11spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
12. • The choices of language and pedagogy
are contributing to the reproduction of
present power relation in the education
system ( Bourdieu and Wacquant, 1992
as cited in Awasthi, 2004)
• If policies or government is strong it
can have Positive result while it may
undermine the creativity, wider thinking
of pupil.
Conclusion and further discussions
05/17/13 12spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
13. • It cannot create just society if the
education only serves reproduction of
present power relations.
• Pedagogy in the critical sense
illuminates the relationship among
knowledge, authority, and power.
• How can we see power in pedagogy in
current context of nation restructuring?
(for further discuss)
Conclusion and further discussions
05/17/13 13spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
14. Awasthi, L. D. (2004). Exploring monolingual
school practices in multilingual Nepal. An
Unpublished Thesis for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy. Danish University
of Education, Copenhagen, Denmark.
CARE Nepal, 2004. RBA training manual.
Author
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pedagogy
http://pedagogyandpower.blogspot.com/
References:
05/17/13 14spdevkota@kusoed.edu.np
