The Aesthetic Potential of Global Issues Curriculum

There is a despondency and desperation about schools, and thereby curriculum, that too often fails to teach for and about something more than narrow, capitalist-driven, techno-rationalist ends. The prevailing educational theory undergirding schools, as well as the conceptualization of curriculum entailed, lacks an aesthetic and spiritual rationale for learning that honors the sanctity of students beyond their academic capacities, values the processes of learning as much as its outcomes, and seeks a space for learning that is transcendent. This article explores the aesthetic theory of Dewey, its development through his life, and an illustration that exemplifies his theory in the practice of global curriculum. Dewey's aesthetics contends that public talk, for example, has the potential to be experienced as an aesthetic moment. We trace this line of thinking through Dewey's own life, considering how such principles manifest from his experience. We then situate the current work among those in education who consider the aesthetic potential of schools and curriculum. A brief vignette from a recent study is used to illustrate how global issues can be framed within Deweyan aesthetics. (Contains 41 notes.)