Author: Reuben M. Castagno

The Psychology of Cinematic Popular Culture and Educators’ Reflective Practices

eBook: US $34 Special Offer (PDF + Printed Copy): US $83
Printed Copy: US $66
Library License: US $136
ISBN: 978-1-60805-811-2 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-60805-810-5 (Online)
Year of Publication: 2013
DOI: 10.2174/97816080581051130101

Introduction

This e-book presents a crucial work in the systematic study of educators’ cinematic reflections and to what extent could these be interpreted in terms of the theoretical framework of Habermas’s domains of reflection and discursive acts. The chapters in this volume altogether describe important theoretical developments, data analysis, and significant findings about the importance of popular film in pedagogy. The topics in this book present an exploratory view of reflective practices, cinematic experiences and journaling. Sample essays are also provided for the benefit of readers. It is through these converging possible cinematic explorations that we may be able to move from solitary/monologic reflective practices to a rational reconstructive educational pedagogy. This e-book will be of interest to students, researchers and teachers in the realm of psychology, education and pedagogy.

Indexed in: Book Citation Index, Social Sciences & Humanities, EBSCO.

Preface

This book is the end product of six years of reflection about the relationship between popular film and pedagogy. Exploring and researching film theory and cultural studies at the Film and Education Research Academy (FERA), Teachers College, Columbia University; I was very aware of just how fundamental cinematic questions were to a pedagogical understanding of educators’ reflective practices.

Traditional and current reflective models are important to analyze to be able to understand Habermas’s crucial theoretical framework of rational reconstructions. This is a theoretical approach that moves away from a solitary cognitive objective attitude to a more explicit subjective condition for the possibility of a valid reflection on certain types of phenomena. Furthermore, each chapter of this book will show that the knowing subject is also cultural; and that all knowledge is mediated by cultural experiences.

The overall commitment of the book is to no specific orientation, to no particular group, but to the pedagogical challenge to explore the questions provided by cinematic experiences and to what it may constitutes reflective practices in various professions. Nevertheless, it would be great if this book particularly speaks to the school teaching community, to those individuals who use cinema to enhance our learning experiences. The hope sustain throughout the book is that the work presented here will help to make the project accessible to an ever- increasing and worldwide group of students, teachers, scholars, and practitioners.

Conflict Of Interest

The author(s) confirm that this eBook content has no conflict of interest.

Reuben M. Castagno
Stella & Charles Guttman Community College
Film and Education Research Academy (FERA) Teachers College
Columbia University
New York
USA