The implications of postmodernism for school geography : a discussion

This thesis considers the proposition that postmodernism holds important implications for geography education. Whilst the 'postmodern turn' is well established in geography, and there is a growing literature that discusses the relationship between postmodernism and education, there have been few discussions of the implications of postmodernism for school geography. The Introduction positions the study within a tradition of 'critical geography education' and provides an outline of the thesis. Chapter 1 discusses the various ways in which 'place' is used in recent debates within geographical and social theory and points to the implications for geography education. It is argued that geography educators should understand place as a shifting, unstable, polysemous concept. Chapter 2 argues that the school geography curriculum can be read as a 'curriculum of erasure', and that the potential exists to incorporate other knowledges, other geographies into the curriculum. Chapter 3 points the need for geography educators to recognise that consumer and media culture enact a cultural pedagogy, and calls for the development of pedagogical approaches that build upon these informal knowledges. The chapter argues for the development of a critical media literacy within geography education. Finally, in Chapter 4, some of the arguments of the thesis are used to consider how curriculum planning can reflect the concerns of postmodernism. A brief Conclusion is provided, which suggests that geography educators can use the opportunities provided by the postmodern turn in geography and education to develop challenging forms of school geography