“The Reluctant Pilgrim:” Questioning Belief After Historical Loss

In this paper, I explore the question of belief as it is enacted in the inclination to return to places of history's lost objects. I argue that such returns, and the beliefs that fuel them, offer a site in which to consider the persistent, inter-generational effects of history, particularly when the history at stake is one of trauma. While, in education, belief is often cast as separate from historical consciousness, I suggest that belief is evidence, a remnant, of a "truth" of past trauma that disrupts the very capacity to know (Caruth, 1996). I ground my discussion in a case study of historical pilgrimage that returns every July to the former site of the Lejac Residential School in Northern British Columbia. This pilgrimage, in my view, lays bare the double-edged quality of belief as it intersects with the subject of history: on the one hand, there is the wish for redemption that repeats the very terms of history it seeks to overcome, and on the other hand, the possibility of tolerating the idea of a future that can face the vulnerabilities, anxieties and uncertainties that difficult history sets into motion. The pilgrimage, I believe, is a useful metaphor for thinking about curriculum, where what is at stake is not a "simple knowledge," but the capacity to open oneself to the vulnerabilities of living with and after historical loss

Invisible Ink -- A Psychoanalytic Study of School Memory

This paper argues that when teachers can create narratives that symbolize the unresolved conflicts of their schooling past, they are then in a position to use that history as a source of insight that illuminates the ways the past structures the present, and how the present shapes what we remember of the past

REPOSITIONING IDENTIFICATION: REFLECTIONS ON A VISIT TO HISTORICA’S HERITAGE FAIR

In this article, I offer a reading of the psychoanalytic concept of identification, with specific attention to its meaning in the context of children’s historical learning. In educational contexts, it is not identification but historical empathy that teachers and researchers typically regard as holding pedagogical status. Using examples from my visit to Historica’s 2004 Heritage Fair, I argue that identification is important for the way it marks the young subject’s ambivalent entry into a world of historical relations. A study of identification cannot advance historical consciousness, but it does highlight the senses of vulnerability and emotional conflict in trying to orient the self to a very old world and the losses this implies. Key words: historical empathy, children, elementary education, representation, Freud, Lévinas L’auteure propose ici une lecture du concept psychanalytique de l’identification en analysant plus particulièrement sa signification dans le contexte de l’apprentissage de l’histoire chez les enfants. Les enseignants et les chercheurs en éducation ont l’habitude d’accorder un statut pédagogique non pas à l’identification, mais plutôt à «l’empathie historique». À l’aide d’exemples tirés d’une visite à la Fête du patrimoine 2004 de Historica, l’auteure soutient que l’identification est importante, car elle marque l’entrée ambivalente du jeune dans un monde de relations historiques. Une étude de l’identification ne peut faire progresser la conscience historique, mais elle met en lumière le sentiment de vulnérabilité et le conflit émotif qui surgissent lorsqu’on essaie de s’orienter dans un univers très ancien tout comme les pertes qu’implique cette démarche. Mots clés: empathie historique, enfants, enseignement primaire, représentation, Freud, Levinas

Welcoming Narratives in Education: A Tribute to the Life Work of Jonathan Silin

Issue 45 of the Bank Street Occasional Paper Series is a labor of love. It testifies to our love for Jonathan Silin, who for 17 years served as Editor-in-Chief of the Occasional Papers. The issue is also a testament to our respect for the things that matter to him. We have designed Issue 45 to exemplify two commitments that have shaped the decades of Jonathan’s career and that we believe will resonate with readers of the Occasional Papers

Relationships at the Core: A Story of Jonathan Silin

Issue 45 of the Bank Street Occasional Paper Series was conceived to pay tribute to Jonathan Silin for his 17 years as Editor-in-Chief, for his contributions to education through his research and publications in early childhood education, curriculum, and gender/sexuality studies, and for the remarkably generous and caring mentor, teacher, and friend he has been and continues to be to so many

Raising the Threshold for Trademark Infringement Protect Free Expression

The First Amendment right to free speech limits the scope of rights in trademark law. Congress and the courts have devised various defenses and common law doctrines to ensure that protected speech is exempted from trademark infringement liability. These defensive trademark doctrines, however, are narrow and often vary by jurisdiction. One current example is the speech-protective test first articulated by the Second Circuit in Rogers v. Grimaldi, expanded by the Ninth Circuit, and recently restricted by the Supreme Court in Jack Daniel’s Properties v. VIP Products to uses of another’s mark within an expressive work that do not designate the source of the accused infringer’s products. The Rogers test prevents a finding of infringement if this use is artistically relevant to the underlying work and does not explicitly mislead consumers as to the source or content of the work. This categorical rule has definite advantages over the multi-factor likelihood of confusion test in trademark disputes involving expressive works, but—like other speech-protective doctrines—this test has limitations and shortcomings. This Article therefore proposes an alternative test for protecting First Amendment interests in trademark law that better balances the public interest in avoiding consumer confusion against the public interest in free expression. This proposed broad trademark fair use test would apply to any informational or expressive use of words, names, or symbols claimed by another as a mark in connection with any goods or services. If this threshold requirement is satisfied, this use is not infringing unless the accused infringer’s expression is (1) a false statement about its products (including false claims of sponsorship, endorsement, or approval) or (2) is likely to mislead a reasonable person about the source of the goods, services, or message. This more holistic approach to protecting speech interests in the trademark enforcement context should increase clarity and predictability in trademark law, and will enable courts to dispose of speech-harmful claims as a matter of law early in a lawsuit

"Art in Times of Conflict"

Editorial for Issue 10, Number 2 (2012)

Parent Psychological Functioning, Illness Severity, and Medical Adherence in Pediatric Heart Transplantation

This study examined parental psychological functioning, illness severity, and medical adherence in parents of pediatric heart transplant patients. It was hypothesized that parental psychological distress would be associated with increased illness severity and medical non-adherence. Data were collected on 52 parents of pediatric heart transplant patients through the use of parent report questionnaires, cardiologist ratings, medication levels, and medical chart review. Results indicated that 19% of parents met DSM-IV clinical criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. When compared with a normative adult population, the study population had significantly higher rates of general psychological distress. Furthermore, 38% of parents were non-adherent on at least one measure of medical adherence. Analyses examining the relationships among parental psychological distress, illness severity, and medical adherence did not identify any statistically significant associations; however, a medium effect size was found for the relationship between global psychological distress and non-adherence. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed