Between Wholeness and Restoration: Theorizing Restorative Justice and Restorative Practice

Howard Zehr (2006) was half way through his presentation on Restorative Justice when he admitted his puzzlement regarding its effectiveness. As a leading North American researcher and practitioner in the field of implementing restorative justice as an alternative to the more retributive judicial system, he acknowledged that though an effective model had been created, he continued to be surprised to hear those who had experienced it say, “Restorative justice has changed my life!” Why is it that Restorative justice changes lives? he asked. In other words, he was reiterating what Marshall (1999) stated seven years earlier in an overview of theories related to restorative justice, “as it currently stands, Restorative Justice still lacks a definitive theoretical statement … whether it is capable of becoming more than just a model of practice and becoming a complete theory of justice remains to be seen” (p. 30

“Too much changing has happened to go back”: Professional Development, Paradigm Shifts and Poetry

Restorative justice (RJ) holds significant potential as a means for nurturing relational school cultures and addressing harm within those contexts. However, educators participating in professional development (pd), often articulate a commitment to RJ in principle but tend to continue practicing a pedagogy that focuses on controlling student (mis) behavior apart from its relational context. Considering the strong philosophical perspective of humanity on which RJ is grounded, this phenomenological case study examines the impact of pd that explicitly (a) engages with core beliefs and values of RJ and (b) invites participants to examine their personal philosophical stance. Employing theory guided analysis and poetic inquiry to examine participants’ reflections nine months following their experience, results indicate that commitment and practice are better aligned. Significant change in perspectives emerge of self; others; current practice; and group engagement. A list of recommended components for professional development conclude the article

Seven Generations: Taking personal responsibility for broken relationships of the past

“REMOVED FROM THEIR FAMILIES and home communities,” said Justice Murray Sinclair, chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, “seven generations of Aboriginal children were denied their identity.

Student, Teacher, and Administrator Perspectives on Harm: Implications for Implementing Safe and Caring School Initiatives

This article reports on a study that examines student, teacher and administrator perspectives on harm and how their schools address harm. It presents an overview of these perspectives within and across 3 different school environments. In doing so, the study contributes to a better understanding of the often ineffective implementation of safe and caring school initiatives. By drawing on restorative justice and relational theory, the findings illustrate how a focus on well-being and relationship is critical for meeting the needs of those harmed and those causing harm. Such a focus requires interaction rooted in social engagement rather than social control (Morrison 2012) and challenges current recommendations for combining the strengths of several current approaches for a more effective outcome (Osher et al. 2010)

Between Being “Acted Upon and Acting”: An Educator’s Experience in Framing Peace Through Restorative Justice

Am I honouring? Am I measuring? What message am I sending? These three questions frame my daily encounter with life and learning. They have made the framing of peace a personal matter. They embody Butler’s (2009) challenge to recognize how lives are made precarious through the frames we employ to view humanity, as well as our collective responsibility for nurturing what it means to be fully human. They tap directly into the foundation of this book –to acknowledge our common vulnerability and explore how to transform our melancholia “to forms of mourning that include a ‘turning, working, cultivating [of] oneself in a different direction’” (White, 2000, p. 100). Through their use, verticality and horizontality of curriculum come to life so that I and my students are better able to “live the educational experience” (Pinar, 2007). ‘Currere’ becomes a verb so that, as an educator, I am no longer able to teach “about” life but must engage life with my students. As such, the questions constitute a frame of peace that allows me to take up my responsibility as a curriculum writer and practitioner

Implementing restorative justice practice in schools: what pedagogy reveals

In the ongoing pursuit for creating safe, nurturing and relational school cultures, educators continue to turn to restorative justice (rj) principles and practice. Predominantly, schools begin to engage with rj in an effort to address harm done, causing its discourse to be situated in literature tied to classroom management and behaviour. However, in this location, the effectiveness of rj can be limited because the power relationships underlying the original punitive, managerial structures maintain their grip. Drawing on a qualitative study that examines the experiences of educators committed to implementing rj principles, this article explores how placing rj in the context of engaged, productive pedagogies better nurtures the hoped for relational and peaceful school culture

Living Justly in Community: How restorative justice nurtures cultural landscapes

Restorative justice (rj) has been part of the Newfoundland and Labrador cultural landscape for several decades. Its features are perhaps not as dramatic as the rocky shorelines, the undulating barrens, or the tumbling ocean; yet like trailing partridgeberry groundcover that is easily overlooked from a distance, it is reliably present

A window on relationships: reflecting critically on a current restorative justice theory

Inherent in the task of theorising is a responsibility for ongoing critical reflection of the ideas presented (Steele, 2010). To that end, this article responds to the invitation extended by McCold and Wachtel to examine the conceptual theory of restorative justice they first presented in 2003 and which continues to be promoted globally. One particular aspect of their theory, the Social Discipline Window, is examined. Drawing on a qualitative, critical case study conducted in schools in Ontario, Canada, the article illustrates: (a) how unexamined theory can be problematic and promote practice that counters the principles of restorative justice; and (b) how people's lives can be impacted by power dynamics inherent in the theory presented (Woolford, 2009). In response, a revised Relationship Window is presented along with examples of how it can affect practice that is more consistently aligned with the philosophical foundations of restorative justice

Relational Critical Discourse Analysis: A Methodology to Challenge Researcher Assumptions

This paper introduces a new critical peace methodology—Relational Critical Discourse Analysis. For research to contribute to the well-being of people and their societies, traditional research methodologies need to be examined for biases and contributions to societal harm, and new approaches that contribute to just and equitable cultures need to be developed. As two researchers from dominant, privileged populations, we challenged ourselves to do this by creating and employing Relational Critical Discourse Analysis, a new research methodology that provides space for diverse perspectives and emphasizes the researchers’ interconnectedness with their participants. In this paper we describe the methodology and examine how, within one case study, it increased our ability to (a) listen deeply to participants and (b) be personally impacted by what participants are saying

The Journey Between There and Here: Stories of a Faculty Writing Group

Reflecting, sharing, and producing knowledge about the process of writing and collaboration in a writing group is the focus of this qualitative project, in which we explore a complex weaving of knowledge, subjectivity, and representation. In this group are eight women faculty, all of whom are individually working on writing projects in their own areas of expertise. Using a method of writing as inquiry, each person was asked to keep a reflective journal; an autoethnographic account of their experiences of writing during a three-month period. The group met weekly and each individual shared their reflections and writing experiences. In this project, our intention is to decentre notions of the alienated, isolated academic by writing and constructing knowledge as a collective. Using the metaphor of here and there, we ask how can a relational culture grow out of writing? How can competitive, hidden barriers be broken down and replaced by open, encouraging spaces