From Telescope to Kaleidoscope: Post-structural Strategies for Bringing Multiplicity to Light in Teaching and Research

Abstract

A note on Purdue’s OWL (Online Writing Lab) (2014) website describes post-structuralism as one of the “most complex literary theories to understand” and as such the reader is directed to “Please be patient” when attempting to comprehend it (Purdue OWL: Literary Theories, online). Indeed, poststructuralism has a reputation for being both mysterious and daunting. Yet, I argue that post-structuralism can also be accessible, playful, and relevant for both teaching and educational research in local and transnational settings. Opening up dualistic language structures and cultural labels can engender a shift in thinking from a singular, exclusionary, and telescopic perspective to one that is more inclusive, pluralistic, and kaleidoscopic. It can also lead to more ethical approaches to the processes of education by working to explore the relationships among meaning, power, and perceived differences. This is especially important in the continually diversifying education systems in which educators currently find themselves, where varying cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors come into play. Translating post-structural theory into practice, I demonstrate different post-structural strategies I have used to deconstruct the narratives of four transnational Returned Peace Corps Volunteer teachers who have taught both in the U.S. and in other countries. I also share examples from my American college and university classrooms, in which students have struggled and succeeded to see past the dualisms in order to locate the multiplicity within.