Critical Analysis of a Policy Document – The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

The topic for the paper

            In this assignment, I have chosen the Canadian policy document, The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard).

The Standard

            The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) is a 75-page Federal Government document that sets out voluntary guidelines, tools and resources intended to guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm at work. Developed for both employees and employers, the Standard markets itself as user-friendly and easily accessible to all Canadian employers and other interested parties. The Standard targets support for individuals experiencing mental health issues on the job, promotion of mental health, illness prevention, anti-stigma initiatives, and development of mentally healthy workplaces. It serves as a resource for employers to improve the mental health of their organizations, improve cost-effectiveness, and increase recruitment and retention. The Standard claims to be the first of its kind globally and accomplishes all the above while fostering, promoting, and advancing the national economy. It also contains the disclaimer that its use “rests on the user.”

Process

            The critical analysis of the Standard will be by way of a written essay. My writing style is in the first person and subjective as it expresses my interpretation and analysis of the work. I have chosen an interpretive research design that will give a brief history of the Standard followed by the relevancy of the assignment. The document will be identified along with why it is important to me as an adult educator.

            A summary of the Standard will be presented with a critical analysis of its contents. In closing, my take-aways from this analysis will be identified, including how my critical lens has changed through the studies in this course.

My social identity

            My analysis of this article will be influenced by and come from my social identity. I am a 64-year- old married father and grandfather, middle-class white male settler, retired with a pension, heterosexual, protestant, cisgender, and am military and law enforcement trained, university-educated, relatively healthy, non-disabled, with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. I can consider myself in a position of power with privilege while recognizing and appreciating Johnson (2018), who posits that privilege is always a problem for those who do not have it and those who do because privilege is always related to the privilege of others. My biases, white privilege and vulnerabilities will all be factors in writing this essay.

Relevance

            The EDAE 6363 course assignment module states that critical analysis is grounded in power relations constructed by race, class, gender, ability, and other social constructs. I work in a constructionist

framework with a problem solver perspective. The analysis is seen through my lens of inquiry and investigation, so conducting a policy analysis through a systematic process is specific for my situation and worldview.

            The Standard aims to promote psychological health and safety in Canadian workplaces. This

assignment is relevant to me for my grad paper which will explore the impact of pre-retirement and post-retirement on police officers’ wellbeing. The Standard has several sections such as managing change, prevention, education, and awareness relevant to psychological and physical health issues, which I want to explore further and analyze.

Brief History of the Standard

            Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in Canada. The prevalence of mental illness in Canada is on the rise, with more than 6.7 million people living with a mental health problem and close to 500,000 Canadians are unable to attend work each week due to mental health issues (Mental Health Commission of Canada [MHCC] 2013). Adults in the prime of their careers are at a high risk of developing mental illness and are often the most affected. Mental health problems cost Canadian employers $16.6 billion per year in lost productivity due to absenteeism and presenteeism and is an employer’s most pressing concern (Mercer, 2018). As a former small business owner, RCMP officer and City of Kelowna employee, I witnessed this cost firsthand as an individual who struggles with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

            Recognizing the cost of mental illness on the economy, the Federal Government in 2007 created a senate committee that was tasked to study mental health, mental illness, and addiction. The committee was formed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). The commission received endorsement from all provinces and territories except for Quebec and was approved to receive funding by the subsequent federal governments until 2028. The commission’s aim was and continues to be to provide tools and information required to improve the quality of and access to mental health care for all working Canadians.

            In 2010, the MHCC asserted a legal duty in Canada for employers to provide and maintain a psychologically safe workplace. The MHCC developed a Workforce Advisory Committee with the focus on the promotion, prevention, diversity, access, and delivery of mental health services across Canada. Committee members were subject matter experts, economists, and community partners. They provided contextual knowledge, including social, educational, and cultural perspectives.

            In 2013, a commissioned report by the Federal government through the authority of the Standards Council of Canada led to the creation of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (Standard) guide. The Standard guide handbook is intended to show how organizations can start with the Standard and move through the stages of implementation to develop psychological healthy and safe workplaces. The guidebook provides tools, techniques, definitions, checklists, tips, references, and frequently asked questions to support users.

Who wrote and communicated the policy?

            The Mental health Commission of Canada (MHCC) championed the development of the Standard working with the addition of the Bureau de normalization du Quebec (BNQ) and Canadian Standards Association (CSA). The Standard will be a stand-alone National Standard of Canada. The MHCC, BNQ, and CSA will make the Standard available through their websites.

Who is paying for the development of the Standard?

            Funding is being provided by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Health Canada, Public health Agency of Canada, and a $150,000 grant from Bell Canada. As an example of public and private funding, I partially fund the Standard as a Canadian taxpayer.

Who is on the committees that are developing the Standard?

            There were a diverse group of health and safety professionals on the technical committee (35 volunteers) and project review committee (11 volunteers). Committee members included executives, labour leaders, government representatives, experts in law and policy, National Aboriginal Health Organization, Air Canada, Canadian Mental Health Association, Great-West Life Assurance Company, Northern Health, City of Mississauga, Bell Canada, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Benefits and Strengths

            Healthy workplaces incorporate health-promoting activities, employee assistance programs, flexible benefits and working conditions, fair employment treatment, employee career development, health and safety, and prevention of work stress (Kelloway & Day, 2005). The Standard supports and builds upon currently active activities and programs. It is unique and marketed by the Canadian Government as the first of its kind in the World to pave the way for significant change in how psychological health and safety is conceptualized and addressed in workplaces. Other countries are looking to Canada for results from research on the Standard, which has potential for positive global impact.

            Organizations and companies of all shapes and sizes share that employers need assistance in understanding and dealing with mental health problems in the workplace. The Standard provides a guiding framework for greater awareness and understanding.  Implementing the Standard could increase work productivity, reduce stress, reduce employee turnover, and decrease the prevalence of mental illness. The Standard provides the tools and information about how organizations can protect their employees and create workplace environments to prevent mental health issues. This would allow employees to feel safe, happy, and engaged by creating an overall positive work environment. The long-term effects would benefit the organization and employees.

            Employees will benefit from workplaces that promote and protect their psychological health and safety. For employers, benefits will be enhanced cost-effectiveness, improved risk management, increased organizational recruitment and retention and identified corporate responsibility.

Criticisms and barriers

            Although the Standard offers benefits and values that are far-reaching, it is not without flaws.

1) The Standard is poorly advertised, has limited publicity, and lacks promotion by the federal government. It is not well communicated across Canada. Larger organizations with human resource departments are more likely to learn about the Standard, although small businesses generally do not have that luxury. Organizations have no more than a mild curiosity rather than a focused commitment.

2) Leadership involvement is essential when implementing the Standard, and buy-in from

leadership is essential. For many organizations, implementation starts at the top and walking the walk.

Management and organizations do not see the value-added in the Standard to invest time and resources into implementation.

3) When hiring staff as part-time or on short-term contracts, the cost for training and

implementation is prohibitive. The Standard is designed for large organizations that

have the time and resources.

4) Small organizations face competing workplace priorities while balancing several priorities and

responsibilities. Time and resources are focused in so many different places. They do not have the luxury of a Human Resources Department or a Chief Diversity Officer. Some can view the Standard as a long, complicated, and tiresome political, academic document.

5) Organizations are spending enormous amounts of time keeping up with the myriad of other

workplace and safety standards such as harassment, disabilities, and human rights. This Standard is just

one more government bureaucratic standard that is “voluntary” and requires no commitment.

5) Employers must be committed because implementing the Standard is a lengthy process

that requires an organizational culture shift. Everyone from the top-down need to be committed due to

requiring a significant amount of time and resources. The challenge can be overwhelming for management

to raise awareness, change the culture and mindset, and do what it takes to make the Standard

successful.

6) Opinions from some employees and employers may be that psychological health and safety are

irrelevant in the workplace.

7) Organizational cultures and sizes determined how or if the Standard should be implemented.

8) Some employers may have concerns about the potential for abuse or employees “faking it” and taking

advantage of the program.

            While there are many positive suggestions in the Standard and the barriers to implementation can be overcome, in keeping with the theme of EDAE 6363, Diversity in Adult Education, the Standard falls short in addressing many areas of the vast and encompassing arena of diversity. Section 4.3.6 of the Standard, Diversity, states, “Organizations comprise diverse populations and groups. The organizations shall consider the unique needs of these diverse populations and solicit input when these needs are relevant to complying with the requirements of this Standard. The organization shall consider workplace factors that can impact the ability of these workers to stay at work or return to work. While psychological health and safety in the workplace is a shared responsibility among stakeholders, the organization should support individual workers to seek assistance internally or externally when needed. The organization shall take steps to link workers in need to internal resources and should also take steps to link workers to the community or other resources.”

            The Standard is positioned as written for all Canadian workers but fails to consider the diversity of those workers and the issues associated with a specific cultural, religious, or sexual history and background. For example, only one personal example of a Canadian worker was noted in Annex D.1, referring to small enterprise scenarios. The annex identifies “Joe,” who owns a small independent mechanical garage. There was no mention of Indigenous people’s.

            Health Equity issues can have a negative impact on mental health on individuals, groups and communities. Marginalized groups have reduced access to social determinants of health, essential to creating conditions that cultivate positive mental health. Intersectionality creates various unique situations that can affect individuals and communities. Intersecting identities lead to further exposure to additional levels of marginalization, which do not exist in isolation from each other. These issues were not mentioned in the Standard.

            The social constructions of race, class, gender, ability/disability, language, and religion did not emerge in the Standard policy either in explicit or implicit ways. The document was carefully worded and politically correct when discussing all issues. Inclusivity should have been an item for discussion. Implementation of the Standard is voluntary and up to individual organizations, labour groups, industry groups, government agencies, and other interested parties. The Standard is of particular interest to senior executives, unions/organized labour, human resources, occupational health and safety, risk management and employee assistance professionals. All at the top of the power pyramid.

            Employers are the key decision-makers with power within organizations, and their perspectives on the Standard will influence implementation and internal acceptance. The employer’s perspectives inform future mental health initiatives for the workplace, provide insight into the challenges and barriers and assist in the implementation of the Standard in workplaces.

            I can see the benefits as an educator in defining privileged positions because denying their existence is a serious barrier to change. Ironically, the changes sought by the Standard have a considerable obstacle to overcome – the Federal Government. The privilege and power ensconced in the government can go unnoticed or unrecognized for decades.  It is not an individual issue but a systemic issue. It was interesting to see how systems of power and privilege unfolded within the context of authoring the Standard.

Benefits vs costs of the Standard        

            The benefits of the Standard are the positive consequences, while the costs are the negative. Costs may be monetary or nonmonetary, direct, or indirect. Although organizations and businesses may have limited awareness of the Standard, they appear interested and eager to learn. Advantages include: 1) help reduce stress, decrease employee turnover, increase workplace productivity, encourage prevention and promotion of mental health in the workplace; 2) helps normalize the conversation behind mental health between employer and employee; and 3) identifies visibilities of and contributions of other health-promoting initiatives. Disadvantages include 1) potential barriers to implementation, including being a lengthy process, requires leadership buy-in and organizational culture shift; and 2) complexity of integrating the Standard into workplaces. Social change requires workplaces to create an open, supportive work environment where employees and employers feel comfortable and safe to discuss mental health (Kelloway & Day, 2005). Unfortunately, the Standard struggles with an incentive for social change.

What are my take-aways from this analysis?

            While completing the research for this essay, I used a form of critical praxis to draw upon and apply intersectional frameworks to examine intersecting power relations and social phenomena – for example, the design and implementation of the Standard and its possible diversity and inclusion initiatives.

            The Standard lacks local involvement and community participation resulting in a lacklustre campaign for social change. The Standard does not have a “champion” who stands behind the innovation and breaks through all opposition due to a biased positive attitude associated with the innovation. Although voluntary to participate, the Standard is an authority decision adopted among very few individuals with high positions of power within an organization.

            The Standard has the potential to help employee productivity, job satisfaction, and improve mental health. Unfortunately, since its release in 2013, the awareness of the Standard has been low, pointing to a need for more information dissemination and knowledge translation by the Federal Government. Many Canadian organizations and employers are still unaware of the Standard’s existence. Further work on marketing and promoting the Standard is required.

            Employers identified leadership as a critical ingredient for effective Standard implementation. The employees like me must take some initiative in seeking out help. Not all mental health issues can be observed by the supervisor or employer. When employee mental health is valued, workers may use work as a resource to buffer the effects of non-work stressors and develop self-efficacy, confidence, and hope, which all contribute to overall mental health and well-being. The resources are necessary because all the answers are not in the Standard, and some interventions require a higher service of care for an employee. A major fault of the Standard is that it is not user-friendly to the small business owner who does not have the advantage of a human resources department or personnel specifically assigned to meet the needs of the Standard.

Conclusion

            When I analyze the Standard, it will receive a B+ grade.  My criticism is that it is overly detailed and states it is a document that both employers and employees can aspire to while fully integrated. But at what cost? The Standard takes a holistic view of the workplace while providing organizations with most but not all tools. The link to resources and ways to intervene with the employee is a valuable feature. The most important takeaway from the Standard is small businesses may not see the need for the Standard or have the luxury to read, analyze, and implement it. But it is important to remember; a workplace culture can foster empathy resulting in buy-in as team members become more aware of psychological illness.

            Listening to stakeholders and workers with eyes, ears, and hearts while reflexively understanding the extent of power and privilege identified how a diverse set of minds can create a document such as the Standard. I wear many hats and look through many lenses in my life as a parent, husband, educator, and privileged white male. This course and assignment taught me to relinquish power. Life does not have to be a struggle. I do not have to be in control all the time.

            Although the Standard is not perfect, in my view, it is the start of great things to follow.

References

Johnson, A.G. (2018). Privilege, power, and difference (3 rd ed.). McGraw Hill.

Kelloway, E.K, &  Day, A.L. (2005). Building healthy workplaces: What we know so far. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Review, 37(4), 223. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232574599_Building_Healthy_Workplaces_What_We_Know_So_Far

Mental Health Commission of Canada (2013). Making the case for investing in mental health in Canada. Mental Health Commission of Canada. https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/sites/default/files/2016-06/Investing_in_Mental_Health_FINAL_Version_ENG.pdf

Mental Health Commission of Canada (2021). The national standard of Canada for psychological healthand safety in the workplace. Health Canada. https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/what-we-do/workplace/national-standard

Mercer Financial (2018, April 26). How much are you losing to absenteeism? https://www.mercer.ca/en/our-thinking/how-much-are-you-losing-to-absenteeism.html

How Lego Blocks Can Open Our Eyes to Diversity

Introduction

            In Fostering a Relational Pedagogy by Ellyn Lyle (2019, p. 1), she states, “I don’t recall worrying much in my youth about who I was; I just assumed I knew until I realized I did not.” I, too, have not worried about who I am. However, like Lyle, my re-entry into adult education through a Master of Education program has allowed me to theorize my previous life experiences and re-examine who I am.

            This essay describes a life lesson gathered from a personal experience and transposes it to a metaphor of diversity everyone can understand. It is important to learn from life’s experiences because they need to be shared and as stated by Winter (1988, p. 235), “we do not ‘store’ experience as data, like a computer; we’ story’ it.” The purpose of this essay is to examine how my social identity connects to my social location and how the Intersectionality of my social identity has shaped my personal and professional life.

            The essay invites the reader on a critical analysis journey that uses formal academic writing examples and informal personal narratives. The essay will include my current personal and professional social identity, highlight the definition and interpretations of intersectionality theory, followed by how Intersectionality shapes my personal and professional life. Finally, the essay will conclude by answering the question, how can Lego blocks open our eyes to diversity?

Identifying my social identity

        Social identity indicates who individuals are regarding groups to which they belong, usually defined by physical, social, and mental characteristics. Examples would be race, ethnicity, gender, social class, economic status, sexual and religious orientation.  I am a person who participates in a society I did not initially create. Still, I must take responsibility for participating in that society and for my actions within that society. I understand that my actions can influence and change the society in which I live, and what I can bring to education is shaped by my position and experience of the world. I cannot ignore the culturally sensitive pedagogies such as diversity.

            My social identity is defined as a 64-year-old, married, privileged, White male, heterosexual, protestant, cisgender, military, and law enforcement trained, university-educated, relatively healthy, retired with pension, middle-class, non-disabled, father and grandfather, with PTSD. I can consider myself in a position of power and a white male with privilege while recognizing and appreciating Johnson (2018), who posits that privilege is always a problem for those who don’t have it and those who do because privilege is always related to privilege others.

            If I were to describe my social location, I would say it is a living document changing every day. My current place in society would be living comfortably in a beautiful Canadian city, happily married, financially secure, centrist in politics, with strong personal values, and having meaning and purpose in my life with moderate Christian beliefs.         

What is Intersectionality?

            Intersectionality is a word coined in 1989 by Columbia University professor Kimberle Crenshaw who has spent more than 30 years studying civil rights, race, and racism. Intersectionality describes how race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics “intersect” with one another and overlap. It describes the way people from different backgrounds encounter the world. For example, the lived experiences, including experiences of discrimination, of a woman of colour will differ from those of a white woman or a black man.

            Intersectionality is widely used by scholars, policy advocates, practitioners, and activists in many places and locations. It is taught in courses, written in books and scholarly articles, and made part of ongoing public policy discussions with human rights activists and government officials. Grassroots organizers use the term to inform their work on anti-violence initiatives, worker’s rights, and many social issues. Bloggers use digital and social media to influence public opinion, and teachers use the ideas of Intersectionality toward transforming schools and education. People use the term intersectionality for their varied intellectual and political projects, which can be diverse and sometimes contradictory.

            According to Collins & Bilge (2020, p. 2), “Intersectionality investigates how intersecting power relations influence social relations across diverse societies as well as individual experiences in everyday life. As an analytic tool, Intersectionality views categories of race, class, gender, sexuality, class, nation, ability, ethnicity, and age – among others – as interrelated and mutually shaping one another. Intersectionality is a way of understanding and explaining complexity in the world, in people, and in human experiences.” Intersectionality can be used as an analytic tool to solve problems and challenges that people face or others around them face and may be considered in most contexts.

            Intersectionality is everywhere. Even Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970) analyzed how education can either disenfranchise or empower. The book is a core text for Intersectionality as Freire uses the terms oppression and oppressed as intersecting inequities of class, race, ethnicity, age, religion, and citizenship. Freire linked the needs of oppressed people to calls for social justice.      

How Intersectionality can shape my personal and professional teaching life

            When I was six years old, I received my first Lego toy set. The small, coloured squares, rectangles, boxes, windows, and so many other pieces, immediately opened a world of creativity and possibilities. I could make buildings, cities, cars, people, animals, and spaceships; almost anything I desired. The colours were mixed, and stories surrounding my creations knew no bounds. I often played with friends who came from diverse backgrounds of families and with my older sister. From my friends, I learned that each of us has our own worldviews, and from my sister, I realized that girls could be just as smart and creative as boys and were my equal. I still enjoy building with Lego and appreciate the diversity offered within those simple coloured blocks.

            Johnson (2018, p. 12-13) posits, “difference makes us afraid of one another because we naturally fear the strange and unfamiliar, the unknown, what we do not understand. What we fear we do not trust, making it difficult to get along in our diversity.” Diverse learning environments are crucial in advancing critical thinking and preparing learners for the global workforce. Diversity is not merely a representation of differing others but includes adapting course materials and pedagogies that consider and acknowledge learner’s various pre-college backgrounds and contexts.

            Using the Lego metaphor in my law enforcement class, I will suggest nine ways to use and be aware of intersectionality in my personal and professional teaching life, each representing one Lego block (Image 1).

Black There will be diverse learners in the class and a social division created by power relations of race, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, sexuality, and ability. I will have learners who face challenges paying for classes (financial), who face historical racial discriminatory barriers or deal with distinctive barriers (sexuality, disability). These learners want fairness but bring very different experiences and needs to the class. A goal will be creating a more inclusive and fair community by using the classroom as a venue for disseminating intersectionality.

Red There is an ongoing growing dimension of social inequality in law enforcement. Intersectionality provides a framework for explaining how categories and combinations of race, class, gender, economic inequality, education, etc., position people differently when looking through the lens of a career in law enforcement. Factors influencing employment will be addressed and discussed through the idea of intersectionality.

Yellow One could argue Canada is a form of welfare state, whereas the multi-billion-dollar system involving all levels of government transfers money and services to Canadians to deal with an array of societal needs. To protect everyone and promote public well-being, governments have designed regulatory police services. The intersectional analysis will be used to illuminate the vast administrative, operational, and social differences between Federal, Provincial, and Municipal law enforcement and ensure learners have a clear picture of the differences and how they affect individuals.

Green Through teaching in my class, I will criticize, reject, or fix many problems, including complex social inequalities in law enforcement. Intersectionality will be used as a form of critical praxis to produce, draw upon, or apply intersectional frameworks in learners’ daily lives. Many real-life policing examples will be used, and learners will draw upon Intersectionality’s ideas to guide their lives and careers. They will help police address those involving criticizing, rejecting, or fixing social problems with complex social inequalities.

Dark blue While the number of women in policing in Canada is rising; they still represent only one-fifth of all officers (Govt. of Canada, 2018). Supporting women in their dual roles as police officers and women is pivotal to promoting their careers in policing and ensuring their wellbeing. Due to the long history of policing as male-dominated work and a culture of hegemonic masculinity, female police officers are often seen as a liability rather than an asset. Using Intersectionality as a form of critical inquiry in the classroom to discuss equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives will better prepare women learners for a fulfilling and lengthy career.

Purple Basic requirements for becoming a police officer include a high school diploma or GED, some post-secondary education or a degree and completion of police academy training. The emphasis is on “basic requirements,” so having my learners understand the intersections of their lives, the course will be an essential tool to link theory with practice, thus aiding in the empowerment of the learner.

Light blue Some learners will aspire to work in the corrections system and not policing. There are various careers, including Correctional Service of Canada, Provincial Correctional Officers, or Municipal police guard or attendant. The corrections systems have complicated and contradictory relationships with its many communities, governmental, and corporate stakeholders. The penal system and prison industry, including rehabilitation, counselling, education, and job placement, are rapidly growing and include diverse backgrounds. Understanding how these people intersect individually and together will require discussions on competing public policies, neoliberalism, racial profiling, right-wing populism, and so on.  

White Specific learners will be entering the field of social work, probation, or as a parole officer working within a correctional facility in the community. These are front-line workers responding to social problems. They have an up-close and personal relationship with violence, homelessness, hunger, illiteracy, poverty, sexual assault, and other social issues. My learners will be taught that they cannot focus primarily on praxis, but they must understand and work to solve the underlying social problems. Intersectionality will not be used as merely an intellectual inquiry but used as an essential intervention strategy for social justice work.

Pink Profiling in policing is a technique used for decades and will continue to flourish in one form or another. Unfortunately, when profiling goes bad, the consequences can be tragic. On December 1, 2013, Lucia Jimenez completed her shift as a chambermaid in a Vancouver hotel. While on the SkyTrain, Transit Police routinely stopped and checked her for her fare, which she did not have. No fare receipt, Mexican worker, and poor English resulted in her arrest and 20 days of detention with the Canadian Border Security Agency. No legal aid or mental health care was provided, resulting in her suicide. My learners will be taught to look through an intersectional lens and see how race, class, gender, and immigrant status can interconnect as a negative category of power that may have disastrous consequences resulting in an avoidable loss of life.

            The above nine examples of Intersectionality have been introduced, and they have the potential to foster a complex understanding of my learners’ identities. It changes the meaning of identity from something one has, to something one does. “Identity expresses intersectionality – a multifaced perspective acknowledging the richness of the multiple socially constructed identities that combine to create each of us as a unique individual” (Lind 2010, p. 3). An analysis of diversity through a lens of intersecting social identity is one of the foundational approaches to the law enforcement course I am designing.        

The connection between my social identity and social location as an adult educator

            As an adult educator, my social identity and social location have been identified, and they can be used to explain my approach to educating. Time will be spent reflecting on how I educate, but time will also be spent on my path to educating learners; underlying biases, preferences, and values that guide my education. I will use the knowledge gained in identifying my social identity and social location as essential mechanisms in my education and learning experience. In my classroom setting, as an educator, I can create an inclusive environment by being open to novel ideas, available and responsive to learner feedback, and include learners in portions of the course design.

Conclusion

            While placing together the 346 pieces of the Lego building set, I thought everyone in this world is awesome (Image 2).  It occurred to me that if everyone considered 346 ways to commit to building a more diverse and inclusive world where everybody belongs, no matter your race, your gender, how you identify or who you love, this world would be a much better place. As a society, we could and should be doing more to support each other and appreciate our differences. Everyone needs to step up to the plate, make heartfelt statements, and take action about love and inclusivity. Perhaps through reflection, reflexivity and Intersectionality while completing a simple Lego project, we can all open our eyes to diversity and be remembered as making a difference in this world, knowing “everyone is awesome.”

References

Ashton, M. (n.d.). Why I designed everyone is awesome. Lego.  https://www.lego.com/en-ca/page/why-i-designed-everyone-is-awesome?icmp=LP-SHH-Tall-     Rainbow_Hero_Tall_Product-TH-NO-2U5NENPKDG

Collins, P.H. & Bilge, S. (2020). Intersectionality (2^nd ed.) Polity Press.

Crenshaw, K. (1994). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against          women of color. Stanford law review, 43(6), 1241-1299. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Government of Canada (2018). Police resources in Canada, 2017. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2018001/article/54912-eng.htm

Johnson, A. G. (2018). Privilege, power, and difference (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Inc.

Lego (n.d.). [A diverse and inclusive workplace] [Image 2] Lego. https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/diversity-and-inclusion/

Lind, R. (2010). A note from the guest editor. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 54, 3-5.  https://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=042eeb56-9f52-4afd-abbd-   46856691b299%40pdc-v-sessmgr03

Lundman, L. (2021). [Everyone is awesome Lego blocks] [Image 1] Laurie Lundman

Lyle, E. (Ed.). (2019). Fostering a relational pedagogy: Self-study as transformative axis. Brill Sense.     

Winter, R. (1988). Fictional critical writing. In J. Nias & S. Groundwater-Smith (Eds.), The Enquiring      teacher. Falmer.

Johnson (2018) helps us to identify the ways in which denial and resistance manifest in both conscious and unconscious ways in Chapter 8. In Chapter 9, he suggests ways to push back against systems of privilege. Create an action plan that synthesizes your new and emerging critical consciousness into actions you can begin immediately in your own practice as an adult educator. This can be 3 or 4 items and should be clearly connected to and supported by the course content.

I am embarrassed to say that I was one of society’s travellers denying I was part of the problem and looking for ways to getting off the hook by failing to recognize or assisting with injustice’s or other’s suffering. I am a White privileged male living in a predominately White privileged community. I will no longer deny injustice or suffering by others exists, although I have always minimized it if it does not concern me, and I have not become a social activist – up until now.

            I am probably like many men – and women – who are just confused with privilege, power, and difference. Johnson (2018, p. 97) used an example of a middle-aged man expressing frustration over whether to open doors for women. My parents taught me to always open doors for women and men should I be the first person through the door. When does opening the door become a ritual, conveying a cultural message that men are active, capable, and independent? In contrast, women are passive, incapable, and dependent, which exemplifies just another way to keep men in control? Am I now obliged to think about opening doors for other people and be held accountable when I do not? Where did “I was just being polite and not trying to dominate anyone” go?

            I realize as Johnson (2018) posits that my social characteristics locate me differently in relation to others, and differences in location bring differences in worldviews and resources and in power, vulnerability, and risk. I am now willing to take that risk and create an action plan that synthesizes my new and emerging critical consciousness into actions that I can begin immediately in my own educational practice. But I do realize critical consciousness takes commitment and work, and the help of others. My action plan consists of:

1. Shifting my point of view to some other aspect of my identity to see how it changes how I hear and what I am asking my learners to consider. See how it may be about me and not my learners.

2. Stop worrying about failing and what other people will think about me. Look more at what I will discover about myself in life’s journey. Remember that reality is constantly in flux, and the only thing we can count on is change. Everything is in the process all the time, including systems of privilege. (Johnson, 2018, p. 109).

3. Learn to be more aware and work toward a critical awareness of how systems work. Examine how systems of privilege are organized and operate in the context of my life and how I participate in them. Be critically conscious by being committed, work hard, and use the support of others. Self-awareness must be a part of my life and teaching practice. Be less politically correct and more politically aware and socially active.

4. In the classroom and Zoom meetings, be aware of how easily men dominate meetings and discussions by controlling the agenda and interrupting. Connect my choices and behaviour to the systems in which I participate. Enjoy the issues of intersectionality and how different forms of privilege combine and interact with one another. Look at male dominance and oppression and identify the problem correctly as a societal problem. Focus on all the forms of privilege those principles promote.

I have learned there is no way to avoid being part of the problem. At least I am aware of the problems and have solutions to solve them. I know I am White and privileged, but I will continue to open doors for women and men.

References

Johnson, A. G. (2018). Power, privilege, and difference (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Inc. 

Review the First People’s Principles of Learning and discuss how these statements connect Eurocentric ways of knowing with Indigenous Ways of Knowing: Knowledge is power or Power is Knowledge?

The Eurocentric knowledge system focuses primarily or exclusively on the European knowledge system and is advanced through ontological and epistemological disregard of other knowledge systems such as Indigenous knowledge systems. Eurocentric ways of knowing emphasize power, whereas Indigenous teachings emphasize knowledge. The First People’s Principles of Learning seem to have the right formula where knowledge is much more than power; it is key to a better life well-lived. Knowledge, not power, involves understanding, comprehension, growing, sharing, and applying. Indigenous knowledge is part of the collective genius of humanity, representing accumulated experience, wisdom, and know-how unique to nations, societies, and communities of people around the world (Battiste & Henderson, 2008).

            A lot of knowledge is a wonderful thing. To me, it seems the Indigenous ways of knowing where power is knowledge follows the belief of (Palmer 2017, p. 1) that “we teach who we are.” It is challenging to teach with so many irreconcilable differences between western Eurocentric ways of teaching and indigenous worldview ways of teaching (Bear, 2000). When discussing the critical importance of education and knowledge itself, one’s potential to pursue one’s objectives will undoubtedly increase. Power is knowledge; knowledge is liberating; knowledge is enriching. Knowledge is what truly drives you to do what is right and to make the right decisions.  

            When teaching, I must bring my complex settler Canadian identity into the classroom. The last thing I want is to continually move the colonial wheel, further perpetuating oppression through my narrow views and perceived perceptions of the Indigenous peoples (Absolon & Willett, 2005). Knowledge creation needs to be a continual process that happens by weaving learning into each day.

            I now have a much softer view of where I can see a more ‘power is knowledge’ approach in future classes and a greater appreciation for First Peoples principles of learning.

References

Absolon, K. & Willett, C. (2005). Putting ourselves forward: Location in aboriginal research. In L. Brown & S. Strega (Eds.), Research as resistance: Critical, Indigenous, and anti-oppressive approaches      (p. 97-126). Canadian Scholar’s Press.

Battiste, M. & Henderson, J. (2008). Naturalizing Indigenous knowledge in education: A synthesis paper. [Unpublished manuscript], Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre, University of Saskatchewan.    https://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education/21._2009_july_ccl-   alkc_leroy_littlebear_naturalizing_indigenous_knowledge-report.pdf

Little Bear, L., (2009). Naturalizing Indigenous Knowledge in education: A synthesis paper. [Unpublished manuscript], Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre, University of Saskatchewan.  https://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education/21._2009_july_ccl-   alkc_leroy_littlebear_naturalizing_indigenous_knowledge-report.pdf      

Palmer, P.J. (2017). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life (20th anniversary ed.). Jossey-Bass.

UDL: Universal Design for Learning can be applied in many adult learning contexts, including formal education, informal learning and workplace learning. Examine the principles of UDL and consider how these a) counter systems of privilege and power, and b) how you might integrate UDL into your practice.

I am planning on designing a hybrid course for online and in-class learners.  I have not been introduced to the Universal Design for Learners (UDL) framework until now, but it is clear UDL can be integrated into all phases of my online and in-class sessions. As the creators of UDL posit in (CAST 2018), the goal of education should not be just the mastery of knowledge but the mastery of learning. Education should help turn novice learners into expert learners – individuals who know how to learn, who want to learn, and who, in their own highly individual ways, are well prepared for a lifetime of learning. To me, that is a statement I will be adding to my philosophy of teaching.

            UDL strategies can help me meet the needs and challenges of learner diversity. UDL creates alternative approaches to creating flexible instructional materials, techniques, and options that empower educators to meet the varied needs of online and in-class learners. UDL is designed to give all learners an equal opportunity to use various teaching methods to remove any barriers to learning and helps make learning inclusive and transformative for everyone.

            However, it is still the teacher who has the power to make this happen or not. As stated by Johnson (2018, p. 47), “people are the ones who make it happen through what they do and don’t do in relation to others.” Teachers have the power to involve some form of discrimination – whether done consciously or not, including microaggression or implicit bias by treating learners unequally because they belong to different categories. This discrimination maintains systems of privilege and unearned advantage. Let me give inclusion as an example.

            Some parents of children with disabilities are among the opponents of inclusive education because they fear a loss of accommodations and the benefits of special education classrooms, including individual educational programming, smaller student-teacher ratios, and teachers who have special training in working with children with disabilities. These parents rightly point out that too often, inclusive education means the mere physical presence of children with disabilities in the regular classroom. As Sapon-Shevin (2003) argues, inclusion without resources, without support, without teacher preparation time, without commitment, without a vision statement, without restructuring, without staff development, won’t work. Some children are dumped into classrooms in the name of inclusion, when in fact, nothing is in place to make that an inclusive classroom except that they’ve put a child with significant disabilities into it. That’s not a problem about inclusion; it’s irresponsible planning, irresponsible fiscal management, irresponsible teaching. But to call that inclusion is a mistake.

            I have not thoroughly researched inclusion in the educational system, but I can see where UDL could help learners with physical, sensory, or learning disabilities.  But it is still the teacher who has the power.

References

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2.

https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

Johnson, A. G. (2018). Power, privilege and difference (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Inc.

Sapon-Shevin, Mara. “Inclusion: A Matter of Social Justice.” Educational Leadership 61:2 (October 2003): 25-28.

The LGBTQ2S+ scholarship presents a strong argument for deconstructing gender-conforming privilege. Examine the binary of gender to propose strategies for adult education practice that is inclusive of all members of the LGBTQ2S+ community.

The topic of gender identity and orientation while entering the arena of LGBTQ2S+ is utterly foreign to me. Up until now, I have given it very little thought because neither family nor friends live in this world. I do not need to research the topic nor get involved in its activism – or should I?

            To publicly identify yourself as gender non-conforming, intersex, trans or nonbinary could be a personal and employment disaster. When I was instructing law enforcement, it could be the kiss of death for promotion, transfer, or just working with other officers. Jokes in the office or inability to talk about their lived experiences were culture-driven. This stigma exists even today despite the government rhetoric and political lies and hogwash denying it does not.

            To be fully present and being your whole self requires expressing your gender identity authentically. Gender impacts everybody, and as a parent, educator, student, and future employee, I want to be an LGBTQ2S+ ally. I have had no training in the complexities of gender, and I may still have some confusion by people who do not exclusively identify as male or female. I admit my faults to all of you, but I am willing to think about diversity and inclusion, learn about it, and take diversity, inclusion, and equity training. It is essential educators understand the complexities of gender.

            The strategies for my adult education practice are to 1) deconstruct the notion of the gender binary and reconstruct the learner’s understanding of gender as something much more; and 2) equip my learner’s for a future where trans, gender non-conforming, intersex, and nonbinary people are thriving. Create a safe space where learners can learn and unlearn and gain the skills and tools they need. Learners must understand it is their duty as community members to take this reality seriously and be proactive in their learning moving forward. As stated by DeVita & Anders (2018, p. 65), “a primary goal of educational programs on college campuses (i.e. SafeSpace/Zone) has been the development of a critical mass of heterosexual and cisgender individuals who support LGBTQ+ individuals.”

            I will be learning more about this topic and will be a leader in my educational field by changing the cultural norms that reinforce the binary. My future duty as an educator is to research and learn more while adding whatever social activism I feel comfortable with.

Laurie

DeVita, J., & Anders, A. (2018). LGTQ faculty and professionals in higher education: Defining allies, identifying support. College Students Affairs Journal, 36(2), 63-80. https://search-ebscohost-com.libraryservices.yorkvilleu.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url,cookie,ip,uid&db=ehh&AN=133024613

Johnson (2018) speaks about the connection between capitalism and racism. Search through current events and contemporary issues to find an example of how this might connect to adult education. Share a news article, a video, a scholarly article or an image to add your analysis.

A topic that is near and dear to my heart is systemic racism in the RCMP. Considering I am designing a police course, it seems appropriate to comment on this topic and fit it into my culturally responsive teaching.

Johnson (2018) posits that every form of privilege has an economic dimension. In Canada, we have a national police force (RCMP) that enforces laws that allow us to live a pretty safe and comfortable life in most communities. However, Johnson (2018, p. 35) states,” the nature of capitalism as a system profoundly affects how privilege and oppression work.” This capitalistic state in Canada, with an economic and political system in which trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit rather than by the state, has an ugly side. The RCMP is funded and regulated by the Federal Government and is not an independent police force. For example, the prime minister appoints all RCMP Commissioners who are not promoted through the rank system to the commissioner level. This is yet another example of power and privilege in ensuring the person in authority is on the “right” side.

Unfortunately, this toxic culture encourages misogynist, racist and homophobic attitudes. In October 2016, RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson apologized for the RCMP’s “shameful conduct.” An internal investigation determined that up to 20,000 female officers and civilian employees since 1974 may have been the victim of harassment, discrimination, sexual assault, and sexual abuse. The RCMP set aside a $125 million compensation fund for victims. Meanwhile, the current Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the RCMP Commissioner, Brenda Lucki, confirmed the presence of systemic racism from coast to coast to coast of Canada.

The RCMP, has systemic racism for one simple reason: the capitalist system. Defended by Commissioner Lucki, stating, “systemic racism is part of all institutions.” Really? All institutions? Lucki went on to say, when pressed, said she has heard “about 15 or 20 definitions of systemic racism.” (Tasker, 2020, p. 1). Maybe Commissioner Lucki should brush up on her definitions and decide which one to use before speaking with the CBC and broadcasting it to the rest of Canada.

Is the RCMP a capitalist institution? The RCMP violently suppressed the Wet’suwet’en who were resisting the building of a pipeline. The RCMP refused to defend the Mi’kmaq fishermen from racist Nova Scotia fishers in Nova Scotia. Look at the SNC-Lavalin scandal, the RCMP investigation, and how Canada tilts the law toward protecting capitalists. Is the RCMP merely the armed wing of the Federal Government acting on behalf of capitalists, industrialists, bankers, and oil companies who are polluting our ecosystems and systemically repressing and breaking the resistance of Indigenous peoples?

It would appear the RCMP has serious issues with both capitalism and racism, but Johnson (2018, p. 35) seems to have figured it out by stating, “the nature of capitalism as a system profoundly affects how privilege and oppression work.” Unfortunately, real change will not come from within the RCMP but must be initiated by external sources.

Johnson, A. G. (2018). Privilege, power and difference (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Inc.

Tasker, J.P. (2020, June 12). Systemic racism exists in the RCMP, Commissioner Brenda Lucki says. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/brenda-lucki-systemic-racism-rcmp-1.5610355

Wood, A. (2021, February 8). Systemic racism in the RCMP. Government of Canada.

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlmntry-bndrs/20200930/030/index-en.aspx

Drawing on the readings, this unit reflects upon your social identity and explains how social identities intersect in particular contexts. Reflect on how both the privileges and the challenges of intersecting social identities can impact access to adult education. You might want to consider barriers to access to adult education. To help you with this learning activity, review the Diversity Wheel in the textbook (Johnson, 2018, p. 15). You can post the wheel or draw a mind map and post it to enhance your analysis.

Johnson (2018, p. 12-13) is right about one thing, “difference makes us afraid of one another because we naturally fear the strange and unfamiliar, the unknown, what we do not understand. What we fear we do not trust, making it difficult to get along in our diversity.”  Profiling in policing is an everyday occurrence taught to officers and is a required asset for the job. I taught it and will include it in 2022’s curriculum. Some of the finest police officers are extraordinary profilers. The challenge I now have is reflecting on how my profiling and perceptions may have been at times out of control. I made quick and often unconscious impressions of race, sex, gender, age, etc., to make decisions, sometimes taking seconds with dire consequences. How can I now add social identity and intersectionality to the decision-making process?

            While making many of my decisions in law enforcement, I comply with what Johnson (2018) describes as the trouble surrounding diversity by using the difference to include or exclude, accept or reject, reward or punish, credit or discredit, elevate or oppress, value or devalue, leave alone or harass.

            I struggle with labelling myself as oppressive, although I am a white male with privilege. I have never disregarded the experiences of women, any woman, especially when investigating domestic and sexual violence. However, to reflect on my social identity, I am taking the time to shift a few parts of the wheel, which may be enough to make some dramatic shifts in my life. I am looking from an intersectional lens, but I continue to find its meaning and value challenging.

Laurie

Johnson, A. G. (2018). Privilege, power and difference (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Inc.

After completing the readings and viewing the videos this week, describe how the readings, the videos, and the inventory activities within the readings have informed your analysis of systems of privilege and power.

Allan Johnson states, “it isn’t news that a great deal of trouble surrounds issues of privilege, power, and difference…it causes a great deal of injustice, anger, conflict, and suffering.” (Johnson, 2018, p. ix). But as a white, male, heterosexual, non-disabled, middle-class, retired professional, I have never given it much thought – if any – until this week. Why would I? I grew up in Calgary, a middle-class neighbourhood, both parents blue-collar workers with strong values. I never heard nor witnessed my parents talk ill of other ethnic origins or people of colour. I delivered newspapers on a paper route of 72 customers at ten years of age. I have worked full-time, many years with a second job, and thought nothing of having privilege or power.

            Johnson (2018, p. 15) made it clear when he stated, “the trouble surrounding diversity is that it is produced by a world organized in ways that encourage people to use difference to include or exclude, accept or reject, reward or punish credit or discredit, elevate or oppress, value or devalue, leave alone or harass.” One of the most significant challenges with my autistic stepdaughter is encouraging her to know she has the power to make her own decisions and manage her life the best she can. It is other people’s perceptions and not about her disability. As a family unit we have little power and control over how society thinks about her and how she is treated as a result. However, her mother, my stepdaughter and me may not like it but certainly do take every opportunity to speak up and make changes where we can.

            During my formal years at school and while teaching adults with disabilities, I cannot accept the posit by (McIntosh, 2010, p. 2), who states, “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege.” However, I will accept her view that white privilege is an invisible package of unearned assets. I am willing to acknowledge white privilege and the unequal power between groups because how can we be progressive and racially inclusive without addressing power and oppression?

            As you can see, my experiences with white privilege and power are limited, but I look forward to a critically reflexive and self-awareness journey over the next seven weeks. I can see the benefits as an educator in defining privileged positions because denying its existence will be a serious barrier to change. For example, reflecting on how I unconsciously attribute underachievement by racial minorities to deficits in individual efforts. I have much to learn about the Canadian population while educating its complex and shifting ethnic, cultural, and racial identities.

            I look forward to my fellow learners on their definitions and experiences with privilege.

Laurie

Johnson, A. G. (2018). Privilege, power and difference (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Inc. 

McIntosh, P. (1989). White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see personal     correspondences through work in women’s studies. National Seed Project    https://www.nationalseedproject.org/images/documents/White_Privilege_and_Male_Privilege_Pe rsonal_Account-Peggy_McIntosh.pdf

Beginning with your experience of disconnectedness, please locate yourself within an approach to Reflexive Inquiry (RI) to analyze that experience and explore how your understanding of self informs praxis. Your paper ought, also, to address how RI can mitigate personal bias to boost research rigor.

ABSTRACT. Using narrative and autoethnographic methods, the author relives a story of his traumatic experience with corporal punishment as a seven-year-old child. It includes a short history of corporal punishment, its use for disciplining behaviour in schools, and details this child’s journey to discover how reflexive exploration can help understand the self and how it informs praxis. This essay is based on a non-fiction narrative short story written by the author. He will argue that receiving a strapping in school has negatively impacted his early childhood education. This is an example of how the praxis of critical pedagogy can foster both understanding and agency in learners.

Introduction

            The subject for this essay is the one you know best – yourself: your past and present, thoughts and emotions, memories and present-day interactions. It is probably the subject you try hardest to avoid but the easiest to write about because you lived and are living the story. I am 64 years young, and it appears I have discovered a liberating journey about how getting a strapping in school could help in understanding how self informs praxis. 

            In this essay, a third-person short story is used, combined with a first-person essay narrative. I permit myself to tell who I am using the physical act of writing, which is a powerful search mechanism. I write about myself with confidence and with pleasure. I see all the details – people, places, events, and emotions – moving my story steadily along. This non-fiction form goes deeply to the roots of a personal experience, to all the drama, pain, humour, and unexpectedness in life. 

            This is a personal experience of disconnectedness with dehumanizing pedagogy, which is locked in the memory of a seven-year-old child. The essay begins by introducing and discussing the narrative and autoethnographic research methods. Subsequently, the essay highlights the journey of discovering how reflexive exploration can help to understand the self and how it informs praxis. The essay continues to address how reflexive inquiry can mitigate personal bias to boost research rigour. Finally, this essay will conclude by answering the question, how did getting strapped at school form an understanding of self?

My experience of disconnectedness

            The day began like any other day for a seven-year-old boy named Laurie on his way to Eugene Coste Elementary School in Calgary, Alberta. It was the third week of grade three. September 1963 was an exciting month with new teachers, books, pencils, and friends. Laurie always walked the back alley behind his house on his way to school, keeping busy throwing stones at garbage cans, fence posts, and the odd stray cat, which he purposefully never hit. 

            Arriving early to school, Laurie passed the time by throwing dirt lumps in the newly developed school parking lot. Striking trees, signs, and the school dumpster. Thinking nothing of his endeavour, Laurie threw a volley of dirt lumps that struck another boy entirely by accident. No harm, no foul, or so he thought.  

            Unbeknownst to him, Laurie was being watched by his grade three teacher acting as a monitor for before-class activities. Without warning whatsoever, Laurie was grabbed unceremoniously and escorted to the principal’s office. Realizing he was in trouble, he thought he would receive afternoon detention – how would he explain that to his parents? Too scared to acknowledge his predicament, he did not speak a word while being dragged to the office. To Laurie’s shock and dismay, throwing dirt lumps rated high on the principal’s naughtiness scale. It deserved the most severe of penalties – a strapping!

            Laurie could say nothing to convince the principal to change his mind. Because Laurie was considered by many to be big for his age, as if that made any difference in the world’s scheme of things, he was lectured on knowing better and how he could make someone lose an eye. As the room suddenly went deadly quiet. Laurie crossed his hands, expecting the worst but hoping for the best, whatever that could entail. He pulled back his hand after the first hit and gasped. Damn, it hurt! The principal yelled at Laurie to put his hand back and keep it still. Three straps on each hand by a strip of leather the size of a surfboard. With both eyes squinted shut, the pain was like a hive of bees biting the palm of each hand at the same time. Without control, Laurie burst into tears and was crying and begging the principal to stop. 

            Once the punishment had been delivered, Laurie left the principal’s office and returned to his class after wiping his tears. The strapping seemed to be so over the top and violent for the infraction.  In a short period, it appeared every student in the school knew what Laurie had done. That was part of the grand education plan for keeping other children towing the line. 

            As an adult, Laurie occasionally reflects on this incident and laughs at the cliché, “it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.” However, the feelings can still haunt him- a mixture of shame, anger, guilt, fear, embarrassment, rejection, hate, and withdrawal from the school education system. Laurie learned the lesson of immediate compliance, but the trauma had caused irreparable damage to the school-child relationship. 

            After the incident, Laurie’s first report card reflected his lack of interest in school and his continued inappropriate behaviour – straight D’s and one C.

            This event happened to me 56 years ago and is a true short story.

Narrative and Autoethnographic research methods

            Through a mix of narrative inquiry and autoethnography, the various reflexivity’s, in other words, – the journeys of learning – that I underwent during a specific period of my early formal education are shared. As stated by Abbott (2008), “we cannot make sense of our experiences without the process of storying them; it is important, whether these stories are written or shared, they remain personal constructions inside our minds.” Without a reflexive process, experiences are meaningless. This essay takes me back to a corner of my past that was unusually intense as a child and framed in social tragedy.

Pitre, Kushner, Raine, and Hegadoren (2013) propose that all narrative writing comes from our personal experiences, histories, cultural influences, language, and knowledge. Narrative inquiry as a qualitative method provides a rich framework through which researchers can investigate the ways people experience the world depicted through their stories. Narrative researchers view stories as fundamental to the human experience. This essay’s narrative demonstrates the value and utility of employing narrative as a research tool and reveals how one story interpreted the experience, identity, and self.

            Autoethnography, in part, refers to the narrative description of one’s own experiences, interactions, culture, and identity. My story included systematic introspection and emotional recall (Ellis & Bochner, 2000) about a painful experience. Anderson (2006, p. 30) posits that “autoethnography is characterized by complete membership, reflexivity, and narrative visibility of the self.” The subject of strapping in schools involved many evocative tales that encouraged dialogue, change, and social justice. My autoethnographic story, although personal, could provide sensemaking guides for others in similar spaces.

My location and approach to reflexive inquiry

            “When you know yourself well – you understand your emotions, social identities, core values, and personality – you gain clarity on your purpose in life and work. Being anchored in purpose makes you able to deal with setbacks and challenges” (Aguilar, 2018, p. 21). Reflexivity generally refers to examining one’s own beliefs, judgments, and practices during the research process and how these may have influenced the research. If positionality refers to what we know and believe, then reflexivity is about what we do with this knowledge. Reflexivity involves questioning one’s taken-for-granted assumptions. Essentially, it consists of drawing attention to the researcher instead of ‘brushing her or him under the carpet’ and pretending that she or he did not have an impact or influence. It requires openness and an acceptance that the researcher is part of the research (Finlay 1998).

            A reflexive examination should go beyond one’s conduct in a research project and consider the positionality of the broader research discipline. This could cover what is taken for granted in how problems are defined, which research questions tend to be included or excluded, whether a restrictive dominant paradigm or even a liberal orthodoxy or cultural relativism in which ‘anything goes.’ As with positionality, the discussion of reflexivity has been criticized as narcissistic and self-indulgent. It is essential to remember that the reader may be a lot less interested in the researcher than the researcher himself or herself. Discussion of reflexivity can, further, lead to a kind of paralysis (Johnson and Duberley 2003) as each judgement becomes nested within layer upon layer of personal and disciplinary frames of reference. A way of addressing these difficulties is to bring reflexivity back down to the issues within the research. Winter (1989) compares research to the detective story in which by solving the crime, the detective comes to understand something about him or herself.

A brief history of corporal punishment

            School corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of physical pain due to undesired behaviour by a learner or group of learners. The term corporal punishment is derived from the Latin word for “the body,” corpus used primarily from British practice in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. In schools, it involved striking the learner across the buttocks, hands, back, or shoulders. Tools used consisted of a rattan cane, wooden paddle, slipper, leather strap, or wooden yardstick.

            Advocates of corporal punishment argue it provides an immediate response to indiscipline so that the learner could be quickly sent back to classroom learning, unlike time missed due to suspension. The challenge, it would seem, would be questioning when the strap would be used appropriately. For example, would learners be strapped not only for disobeying rules or disorderly behaviour but also for not understanding a lesson, answering a question incorrectly, not completing homework, or throwing dirt lumps? 

            Opponents argue physical punishment is ineffective in the long term, interferes with learning, leads to antisocial behaviour, causes low self-esteem, promotes mental illness, and breaches children’s rights. Being subjected to corporal punishment in early childhood can lead to various adverse health and developmental outcomes, including aggressive behaviour, mental health difficulties, physical health difficulties, confusion, and damage to parent-child relationships (Gershoff, 2013; Rose-Krasnor & Durrant). Children may feel stress, fear, anxiety, shame, unhappiness, and depression, continuing into adulthood (Afifi, Mota, Dasiewicz, MacMillan & Sareen, 2012). 

The end of corporal punishment 

            Secondary education expanded massively in the second half of the twentieth century, transforming the opportunities available. Inequality concerning sex, social class and religion changed fundamentally. Learners were treated with unprecedented consideration and respect. These changes were partly due to policy – notably the ending of selection into different secondary schools and the resulting reforms to curriculum, assessment, and child guidance. The reforms thus gave an unprecedented range of learners access to the European cultural legacy. But the changes owed more to slow social evolution than deliberate political action, and schools’ traditions shaped how learners had access to new opportunities. 

            Poland was the first nation to outlaw corporal punishment in schools in 1783. By 2016 all of Europe and most of South America and East Asia had banned corporal punishment. However, parts of the United States, some Australian states, and many countries in Africa and Asia consider corporal punishment an essential component of their educational system. In 2004, the Supreme Court of Canada outlawed corporal punishment in public and private schools. The practice was viewed as degrading and inhumane.

Discovering how further exploration can help to understand self and how it informs praxis

            Palmer (2007) embraces the significance of self in the educative experience, insisting that denying self-limit learning and breeds disconnectedness. When we speak of self and identity, we look at all the forces in one’s life that merge to constitute who I am. Palmer refers to disconnectedness as a form of disengagement that occurs when we experience detachment from our learning. In this essay, I cover Palmer’s third dimension of detachment – personal and public – where I share a unique strapping experience to encourage others who feel disconnected. Parker Palmer shares the opinion of other scholars that we cannot know others if we do not know ourselves. Without these inherent understandings, our capacities to teach and learn are significantly diminished (Lyle, 2018, p. 262).

            As a social researcher using reflexivity of my experience with strapping, I acknowledge the changes occurring in myself due to the research process and how these changes will affect my research in the future. For example, I found this essay and research cathartic. I released strong emotions through open expression and narrative dialogue. The journey of discovering my disconnectedness helped me find my connectedness through an iterative and empowering process. By creating space for self, wholeness was fostered where there was once disconnectedness. As my positionality was challenged, I acknowledged that reflexivity should and must be recognized as a significant part of my future research findings.

            To be a more holistic educator, it is imperative to understand self and be aware of your personal praxis. A humanizing pedagogy is based on a relationship of trust, caring, and respect and requires a reflective and reflexive stance as part of its praxis. I believe that corporal punishment, in my case, strapping, has no place in education. To understand self, learning is to be in the present moment, without judging it, boosts our resilience. Reflexiveness and a humanizing pedagogy allow me to feel more accepting and clearer about my own educating and learning situations and responses. I know that I relieve stress with the use of humour. By being fully present, I am more likely to find appropriate levity in moments of challenge and to relieve stress by finding humour in most situations.

            Freire (1970, p. 75) clarifies that mutual humanization is possible when teachers promote and embrace a humanizing pedagogy. What better way than to tell a story, a memoir which is not a summary of life but a window into it. Understanding self permits me to become the editor of my own life, imposing a half-remembered event in a narrative.

How reflexive inquiry can mitigate personal bias to boost research rigour.

            As I wrote the narrative for this essay, I reflected on the notion of lived experience popularized by Schutz (1967), who argued that its importance resides not only in the experience but in our reflexive awareness of it. Schutz continued to emphasize that its meaning is found in retrospective reflection through acts of remembrance, narration, or meditation. Before writing this essay, I would have preferred to have filed the memory of my strapping in the most bottomless, darkest file box, never to be reread. However, I discovered the topic of strapping is not esoteric, and my story could be enjoyed and understood by many rather than a few. 

            Reflexivity influences our thinking and our actions, and the potential for transformative learning. As a seven-year-old child, I utilized the strapping experience as a lens or interpretation tool to interpret my reality (Mezirow, 1997). For example, my biases were that all teachers were rats, bullies, and could not be trusted. This memory, reflexivity about my teaching, and my change in opinion of teachers have challenged my thinking in new and exciting ways. The lenses I now use act as a reference structure to assist me in making sense of my personal experiences in referencing structures that refer to “habit of mind” and “point of view.” These lenses shape and delimit my expectations, perceptions, cognition, and feelings (Mezirow, 1997, p. 5). I am encouraged toward a more open and sophisticated understanding of the fundamental ideas of bias and a more honest way of looking at things. I understand that it is individual to each learner’s needs and that the change within me will not be easy. Dirkx (1998, p. 3-8) stated that transformation could be achieved by employing consciousness-raising, critical reflection, transformation as development, and individuation. As an adult, I am moving beyond subjective biases towards transforming my current thinking, beliefs, values, and attitudes.

Creating conditions for successful learning

            Narrative inquiry and autoethnography was the methodology chosen to identify how one adult out of billions on this planet learned through the meaningful experience of one story in his life’s history.

From this narrative, I invited myself to construct reflexive thinking about the dynamics of my lifelong learning journey. The reflexive interpretation of the learning experience now plays a crucial role in my transformative learning process.

            Learning is personal, but it is a collective process as well. There is no formal learning without constant interaction with the social environment. Family, friends, workmates, colleagues are part of our learning experiences. “Learning to be oneself, whatever else one has to learn in life, is the main trend of each life history” (Dominice, 2000, p. 173). Therefore, it is vital to empower educators and learners to become more reflexive.

            Learning is essential to the process of finding one’s identity as an adult. Looking at their life history helps adult learners realize what characterizes their relation to knowledge and how they construct their knowledge. School and studying depended on my parent’s expectations and the fear I could not meet them. As stated by Dominice (2000, p. 179), “Adult’s narratives tell us that adults have an image of themselves based on the grades and diplomas they have gained during their school life. Working on their life histories might then discover some meaningful learning experiences that can reduce the weight of the bad memories they have of painful school learning experiences.”

            Although there are general characteristics in an adult’s life that are recognizable and re-occurring, each adult also has his or her own story. For example, this narrative approach identified a school failure that occurred to one person, but it was not isolated or uncommon in the education system. However, finding the exact meaning of this experience of loss required reflexivity and carefully listening. As Gaulejac (1987, p. 98) states, “Adult identity is torn between permanence and contrast, between similarity and singularity, between reproduction and differentiation, between the past as background and openness to the future in the present.”

Conclusion

            Reflexivity as a process is an introspection of self and the research process with the goal of transformation. As stated by Lawler (2002, p. 239), “we all tell stories about our lives, both to ourselves and to others; and it is through such stories that we make sense of the world, of our relationship to the world, and the relationship between ourselves and other-selves. Further, it is through such stories that we produce identities.” I am proud to have written a story and explained it in essay form. I addressed and worked with the dehumanizing legacy of strapping and acknowledged its presence in education.

            I have produced a self and identity worth respect through reflection and reflexivity. As a result, I am a better researcher, learner, educator, and person. My story served to construct and shape experience. It provided a window for understanding how I interpreted a situation and created a reality that I could, in turn, act upon. Issues surfaced essential to educating learners, such as the importance of emotions, care, compassion, mutual vulnerability, social justice, and issues of voice.

            This essay has returned me to the source of reflexivity and transformation in understanding a more humanizing pedagogy and a critical personal teaching philosophical underpinning. I explored my understandings of a dehumanizing pedagogical experience. Strapping was used as a method of compliance and discipline. Still, as expressed by Freire (2003, p. 68-69), “in a humanizing pedagogy the method ceases to be an instrument by which teachers . . . can manipulate students, but rather expresses the consciousness of the students . . . themselves.” The event was ineffective in helping me develop positive values, care for others, develop responsibility, learn to problem solve, or think independently.

            In life, we make decisions we may regret. I never told my parents about the strapping in school. My embarrassment haunts me to this day. Until this essay, I disconnected from self by failing to remove barriers of silence and secrecy, weakening me individually. As recommended by Harkins et al., 2009, I have told my story honestly and unapologetically, which has contributed powerfully to my insights while acting as a pedagogical strategy. Reflexive inquiry has been a tool for personal healing of my authentic self while re-connecting the reality of who I am, which is central to sense-making and fostering a coherent sense of identity. I say this because the one person I know best is myself.

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