What Stories to Tell: A Response to Remy Low

Abstract

AbstractOur legacy to the late philosophical historian, Hayden White, is to question the truths of the myths we create in our work. Collectively, we co-create records of interactions with students, teachers, and leaders as we inquire into the practical past of participants. Philosophy enables us to map perceptions of what is valid, in order to make meaning from their understandings of known realities. Research is dependent upon the analysis of the fictional narratives of those we interpret. Hayden White’s discordant imagery of a concentration camp reconstructed into a zoo prompted me to consider the importance of exposing and interrogating our own subjective assumptions and representations as educators and researchers. Like the zoo, we utilise myths and metaphors as palatable mediums for exploring confronting truths. Our critical theory group has inspired us to interrogate our assumptions, to utilise myth as a tool of liberation, and to risk representing others instead of serving ourselves. White (Historein, 10, 10–19, 2010) explores how creativity helps us conceptualise solidarity, solutions, and new possibilities in education.