This week, we’ll be recalling the year’s learning – housing & homelessness; the built environment & pro-sociality; Marxism, neo-liberalism, the growth economy, and other things besides: what have been the most pertinent, interesting, challenging things that have emerged out of this year’s work? what threads and patterns emerge? and what questions and problems have arisen?
Part two: to feed into the chapter we are writing about the SSC, we wanted to include a range of scholars’ voices about what the SSC is, and does. Why do you come to SSC? What does the SSC do that’s valuable or important to you?
If you’d like to prepare, we invite you to write a paragraph about why you joined SSC, and what you have got out of it so far.
Reading: return to notes and readings from this year –
Notes from session:
- Six scholars present and one apology for not attending due to ill health.
- Reviewed presentations/talks covered this year.
- Discussed the relevance of these events to the topic of Housing and the Built Environment. David Hughes presentation ‘War and the media’ was quite removed from the above topic. However, it was stated that this talk at the beginning of the year did provide inspiration and confidence to one of the scholars present, who was embarking on his first year as an undergraduate student.
- Links between individual events?
- Individual experience/learning. Scholars talked of the enjoyment and freedom of the SSC space changing the way in which they learnt and taught.
- One scholar expressed her unease at the non-hierarchical/structure less set up of the SSC.
- The instrumental aim of the SSC was to create the space for all scholars to teach and learn. It was explained by one scholar how she had difficulty engaging with some events when the subject matter was something she was knowledgeable of. This feeling was mirrored by another scholar. There was a feeling that some presentations came to a bit of dead end and that there could be more concrete achievements to aim for.
- It was mentioned that the SSC was originally a political project to provide an alternative to mass higher education.
- Unlearning the neo-liberal norm/model of education.
- It was stated that there had been a fear of money and lectures amongst some scholars at the SSC.
- There was an agreement between several scholars of the need to preserve the space/idea at the SSC.
- Engaging and learning on different levels and in different spaces. Varying and changing expectations of scholars.
- Competing needs of fluidity and adaptability and the needs of some sort of structure and achievable goals.
Different contributions to the book chapter were read out.
Spider diagrams
- Why we come/do not come
- Who is the SSC / Who does not come?
- Younger people – next generation of organisers
- People of colour
- Other languages
Other topics
- Accessibility of reading and academic terminology. One scholar commented on the use of buzzwords such as neo-liberal, which fortunately, was explained in a recent talk at the SSC.
- Gender inequality of speakers. Suggested that the male speakers had invited themselves.
Not discussed at the SSC
- Dis/Ability, impairment (language of difference)
- Sexuality
- Physical and mental health
The Social Science Centre, Lincoln 