Thick Description as Pedagogical Tool

Considering Bowers’ Inspiration for Our Work

Bibliographic Data

ID8924696
AuthorsJonathan T Bell (Pennsylvania State University), Mark T Kissling (Pennsylvania State University)
Year2019
Volume55
Issue5
Pages531-547
Publication date2019-07-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducational Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0013-1946 • E-ISSN: 1532-6993
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00131946.2019.1628762
OpenAlexW2959053973
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited15

This article begins with deep appreciation of Chet Bowers’ powerful charge to take up thick description as a pedagogical tool, while also acknowledging the unpleasant manner in which he offered this charge in response to Gruenewald’s notion of a critical pedagogy of place. The article, then, prompted by Bowers’ charge, is a story and analysis of our ‘rush of descriptions’ about a controversial issue in the community where we reside. To better understand how thick description might contribute to EcoJustice pedagogy we present excerpts of our rush of descriptions and analyze them using Bowers’ 5 themes of language, commodification, tradition, science, and technology. In doing so, we found that our in-depth examination does, indeed, make apparent these themes, suggesting thick description could be a promising component of EcoJustice pedagogy

Aesthetics · Art · Charge (physics · Commodification · Epistemology · Pedagogy · Sociology · Work (physics · Diverse Educational Innovations Studies · Engineering · Indigenous and Place-Based Education · Outdoor and Experiential Education · Philosophy

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