Places for Pedagogies, Pedagogies for Places

Abstract

Working with an understanding of assemblage as the ad hoc groupings of vibrant materials and elements, this article argues that conceptualizing place as an assemblage opens possibilities for bridging the gap between subjects and objects that continue to structure pedagogy. Considering ‘place’ as an assemblage of humans and their multiple ‘others' puts emphasis on the productive nature of forces and forms as vibrant matter. While much of the literature on ‘place-based pedagogy’ argues for a commitment to place-based local environments as a counterpoint to globalization, ‘place-as-assemblage’ circumvents such politics of resistance. Instead of critique and opposition, the emphasis lies on finding ways for critical engagement and new perspectives through an understanding of the forces and forms that make places, and shape pedagogies. The article draws on New Zealand-based research to reconsider the often taken-for-granted relationship between place and pedagogy.