Recognising 'Recognition'

Some interesting recent conversations seemed, on reflection, to involve a common thread:

1. A group of colleagues sought a meeting with me as incoming Head of College to voice thoughts and concerns.  They absolutely recognized that some of the concerns have no obvious or easy solutions, and were not expecting specific actions.  But still – they saw great value in the conversation.

2. The new teachers who told me how much they appreciate that we had explicitly stated how much we appreciate and value their experience from other schools; that they were not expected just to fit in but also to raise ideas and to challenge our thinking.

3. The HR colleague who was thinking about building new systems that allow colleagues to self-identify strengths and gaps betweens where they are and where they want to be, and to support in closing those gaps.

4. An alumna I taught decades ago, now with a family of her own and a parent at the College, was delighted when I recognised her and knew her name,

5. A discussion where it emerged that for most (not quite all) situations, it’s better to resort to common and explicit values than to a long list of rules.

6. Leadership discussions about how we manage the pace of the College so that boundaries between work-life and home-life can be maintained for all colleagues.

 

At the heart of each of these cases, is the notion of recognition - and here I mean more than recognition in either  the ‘facial recognition technology’ sense, or than in the business sense of ‘reward and recognition practices’.  It’s more about interpersonal recognition.   That’s very obvious in the first four cases; the fifth one implies a recognition of the craft of teaching, and a trust in the judgement of professionals to choose the right actions in complex situations.  The recognition in the sixth case should be all-pervasive – it’s a recognition that all of us are multi-faceted humans and that work should not totally consume our lives.  That principle can be extended; we recognise students as more than loci of academic success; we recognise our colleagues as more than units of production; and our parents as more than customers; we recognise schooling as more than simply a ticket to the next step. 

 

German philosopher Axel Honneth has started with the obvious idea that just as we need recognition as individuals, we also need recognition  from the state if we are to enjoy our rights as citizens and from society at large...  In the absence of recognition we languish unloved and unseen… without the basic sense that we matter as human beings.

The significance of this for schools is absolutely clear: Parents, teachers, administrators all need to remember that our words, gestures and expressions will send positive or negative messages of recognition; and it’s a grave responsibility.  We need to explicitly recognize the humanity of the children in our care; we must not compartmentalise them as loci of behavioural compliance, or as units of academic success.  The inner lives of children are as complex as our own, as worthy of respect as our own; and likely far more malleable and vulnerable than our own.  So we will be kind; we will smile, listen and be patient.  We will meet students as individuals making their way in the world, just like all of us adults.

 

One of the most rewarding aspects of getting recognition right in schools is that we see the emerging self-recognition that happens, slowly over years.  To see the students realise that they  - as unique individuals - are people who can make a difference with service partners because of who they are; to see them understand they can be good friends while retaining their own identities; to see them recognize that hard work does pay off; these are all aha moments  that can and do shape children’s self-perceptions, their own understanding of who they are.  In some sense, children come to not only to know themselves, but also to become themselves, through their actions. And we know - from our own experiences as well as the research – these experiences of becoming are critical in shaping future life trajectories (of course, those of us working in schools also find great joy at recognising the roles we play in these transformations; doubly so when alum and parents tell us their stories).

 

So schools should be places of high human recognition, because we all need recognition from others as a precondition for being ourselves.   It’s a basic human need.  Historian Peter Gordon takes the idea further when he makes explicit how the concept applies at State level.  The right to vote is how States recognise  that everyone should have a say in determining the course of their lives.  Equal rights legislation ensures the legal recognition of parity of gender, race, sexuality, for example.  Indeed, the fundamental concept of the rule of law is a recognition that all people deserve to be treated fairly and without recourse to arbitrary measures.  The national systems and structure both enable and are informed by moves in organisations and institutions to be more inclusive, and welcoming to all.

 

There is, therefore, a moral imperative here to ensure that we are all seen and recognised.  There is a straight line from this idea to building a better, more just and peaceful society.

References

Gordon (2020) In Search of Recognition.  NYRB Vol LXIX # 11

Honneth, A (2022) Recognition.  Cambridge University Press