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SUMMARY:From unlimited to situated: A reappraisal of children’s ‘poten
 tial’ - Dr Rupert Higham\, Faculty of Education\; Dr Clementine Beauvais
 \, Homerton College
DTSTART:20150311T170000Z
DTEND:20150311T190000Z
UID:TALK58171@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Lucian Stephenson
DESCRIPTION:_‘We want to ensure all young people have the tools and oppo
 rtunities they need to fulfil their potential\, regardless of background o
 r life circumstances.’ _(DfE\, 2013)\n\nBut what does it mean to fulfil 
 one’s potential? This talk explores the concept of ‘potential’ in ed
 ucation from a philosophical perspective. We claim that the popular and po
 litical uses of the term in relation to childhood have been dominated by t
 wo central theories\, which we call ‘closed’ and ‘open’\, and whic
 h are both problematic for different reasons. Rather than advocating aband
 oning the term – a futile gesture in any case given its emotive force 
 – we argue that the concept of children’s potential must be profoundly
  rethought to be workable as a philosophical notion in education. \n\nIn a
 n era marked by the unspoken assumption that ‘unlimited potential’ is 
 always a good thing\, we argue that it might be necessary to curb the noti
 on of individual potential. We represent it instead as the negotiated\, si
 tuated\, ever-changing creation of a group of individuals\, in a process m
 arked by conflict\, and that remains essentially difficult.\n\nWe will be 
 actively inviting feedback on this talk towards an article submission.\n\n
 *Biographies*\n\n*Rupert Higham* is a Lecturer in Leadership for Learning 
 at the Faculty of Education. His research revolves around dialogue and stu
 dent agency. \n\n*Clementine Beauvais* is a Junior Research Fellow at Home
 rton College in the philosophy and cultural sociology of childhood.\n
LOCATION:Faculty of Education\, 184 Hills Road\, Cambridge\, CB2 8PQ\, DMB
 \, Room GS5
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