Educational Authority: Balancing Structure and Personalization
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Educational authority, authority in education, personalized learning, institutional framework, emancipation, benevolent authority, Max Weber, Philippe Meirieu, Michel Foucault, John Bowlby, Boris Cyrulnik
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Abstract
This synthesis explores the concept of authority in education, examining how to create a permanent learning framework without exercising arbitrary or exacerbated authority, based on the works of Max Weber, Philippe Meirieu, Michel Foucault, John Bowlby, and Boris Cyrulnik.
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[...] Surveiller and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Gallimard. Meirieu, P., & Avanzini, G. (1987). Learn . yes, but how (Vol. 6). Paris: Esf pp. Weber, M. (1978). Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. University of California Press. [...]
[...] Rational-Legal Authority according to Max Weber Reference (see bibliography): Weber, M. (1978). Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. University of California Press. The reading of this work teaches that Weber makes a distinction between three types of authority: authority considered as traditional; that based on what can be qualified as customary; the authority called 'charismatic', mainly based on the characteristics of the personality that exercises it; and finally the rational-legal authority that is based on formalized and impersonal norms: it is this last one that prevails in the educational context by conferring on the teaching staff an 'institutional' legitimacy. [...]
[...] In this, his point of view must be weighed against that of Weber. Firstly, he joins Weber on the necessity of a structuring framework while going beyond this vision, with an emphasis on personalizing the relationship (of authority) and dialogue. On the other hand, Meirieu criticizes the excessive verticality of all authority by asserting that it can burden emancipation. 3. Michel Foucault: Authority as a Control Mechanism Reference: Foucault, M. (1975). Surveiller and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Gallimard. [...]
[...] Firstly, it is derived from the observation of the field that authority is perceived as a tool for structuring and emancipation. This is essential. For example, it has often allowed for a clear framework to be established while maintaining a permanent and active listening posture, with the aim of improving student participation and interaction within the framework of a collaborative project. On the other hand, institutional authority sometimes rigidifies interpersonal relationships and limits innovation. It is often heard that a leader cannot be a 'facilitator' and opinions diverge on the matter. [...]
[...] What questions do I pose on the educational relationship following this reading?) Can an authority that is exclusively vertical limit autonomy? In what way? How is an implicit authority declined in the context of an educational relationship? Articulation theory/practice (what does it allow me to understand about the stakes of the educational relationship? What links can I make with my professional practice?) This book has been a contribution in terms of professional practice, in that I was able to observe that a benevolent framework encourages student engagement. [...]
