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    Feeling, healing, transforming, performing : unsettling emotions in critical transformative pedagogy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2007) Williams, Meg Frances
    This thesis takes a snapshot look at the experiences of five members of Te Rākau Hua o te Wao Tapu Trust, in order to illuminate the role of unsettling emotions in critical transformative pedagogy in Aotearoa New Zealand. An initial exploration of the literature reveals an historical gap in interest and research into the role of emotion in education, particularly the role of uncomfortable emotions. However, discomfort has increasingly become an interest of a number of critics who question the pedagogical emphasis on rational dialogue, believing it impotent to achieve the emancipatory aims of critical education. This thesis celebrates the unique contribution of Te Rākau to the healing and restoration of Māori communities and the transformation of the relationship between privileged and oppressed groups. Situated in a Kaupapa Māori methodological framework, the study positions the physical, emotional, and spiritual connectedness inherent to Māori worldviews as normal. A tension is therefore revealed between these norms and dominant Western norms, which are characterised by anti-emotional socialisation, compartmentalisation, and social fragmentation. This tension provides insights into the emerging interface between the fields of critical and transformative education, which stress the need to break down the Western dichotomies that separate human beings from nature, emotions from reason, and the personal from the political. The argument developed here suggests these dichotomies are seriously problematic for marginalised communities, who are not taken seriously until their circumstances reach acute crisis. These discussions reveal a pedagogy of healing, which is presented as crucial to the transformation of personal, social, economic, political, and ecological relationships, in which the contribution of uncomfortable emotions is invaluable. The heart of this work therefore urges us to embrace being unsettled in order to find the valuable messages and treasures discomfort reveals.
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    Unravelling yarns : how might knitting narratives inform critical pedagogical practice? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Webb, Tanya Jane
    This thesis uses narrative research methodologies to explore the experiences of women and knitting, and examines how those experiences might be used productively to enable educators to develop critical pedagogy skills in the classroom. Through gathering knitting narratives, a learning space is created for voices that are often unheard, to (re)examine and reflect on experiences of the past and present in order to generate new understandings. Narratives have been collected from four women whose lives span three generations; the researcher, her mother, mother-in-law, and daughter. This spans time periods from World War II up until the present day. Field texts for each participant have been written using data from interviews, reflective writing, and photographs. Wider themes have been identified and examined in an educational context relating to the development of the critical classroom. Additional data have been collected from books, online newspapers, journal articles and published reports. This thesis posits that there are specific areas that might be useful for educators to examine further, to establish critical pedagogical philosophies in formal educational settings. The themes consider the importance of belonging, examining privilege, acknowledging the whole self, and the value of alternative sites of learning. These themes also encourage educators in turn to consider new perspectives through self-study, and to understand the experiences of their learners and the communities to which they belong. Finally, specific recommendations for educators, relating to the themes, are made.