Anthropologists Consider Notions of ‘Community’ in Education

From Elizabeth Redden: If there’s one thing that unites an education “community,” it just might be the use of the word “community” – and, not surprisingly, “the notion of community is drawn upon frequently in educational research,” said Doris S. Warriner, of Arizona State University. . . . “However,” Warriner continued, “the concept of community is often used to convey common experiences” — where significant diversity of experience in fact exists. . . . Among the guiding questions she offered up for consideration: “How useful is the notion of community for conceptualizing and investigating questions about participation, engagement, inclusion or marginalization?” . . . “In what ways do shared experiences, histories, practices, understandings or trajectories define a community?” And, “What alternatives are there for describing practices and processes that are shared but not unifying or community-building?”