Hopeful Things as Minor Interventions in Educational Atmospheres: A Diffractive Translation of Sara Ahmed’s ‘Happy Objects’ to Nordic Diversity Work

Dorthe Staunæs; Manté Vertelyté

doi:10.7577/rerm.5865

Hopeful Things as Minor Interventions in Educational Atmospheres: A Diffractive Translation of Sara Ahmed’s ‘Happy Objects’ to Nordic Diversity Work

Dorthe Staunæs
, Manté Vertelyté

Danish School of Education - Education Studies, Emdrup

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Drawing on scholarship on affects, moods, and affective pedagogies in education, we explore how educators in a Danish gymnasium weaved hopes and anxieties into a school space and the specific things, such as books and bookshelves, to address and improve the inclusion of racialized students in school life. Based on a feminist new materialist and diffractive reading through translation of English-language based concepts through Danish grammar and language, we explore how the concept of the "happy object" as delineated by feminist scholar Sara Ahmed takes on a more hopeful interpretation when analyzed within the Danish educational context and language. We argue that ‘foreign’ concepts require careful consideration and adaptation to suit another (Danish) linguistic, cultural, and racial context. Making such adjustments is not just a matter of taking specificities of local contexts seriously, it is also a means of advancing theory that can inspire analyses conducted in a wider range of educational time-space-coordinates.

Original language	English
Journal	Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology
Volume	15
Issue	1
Pages (from-to)	3-22
ISSN	1892-042X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7577/rerm.5865
Publication status	Published - 2024

Keywords

Diversity work
Diversity work;Affective pedagogies
racialization
happy objects
hope
local specificities

Access to Document

10.7577/rerm.5865Licence: CC BY

Library access?

Check availability with the Royal Danish Library

1 Finished
1 Active

The Policy Futures Research Program
Brøgger, K. (Project manager), Krejsler, J. B. (Participant), Cort, P. S. (Participant), Plotnikof, M. (Participant), Staunæs, D. (Participant), Smedegaard Ernst Bengtsen, S. (Participant), Harsbo, R. (Participant), Møller Schmidt, B. (Participant), Anbert, L. C. (Participant), Khawaja, I. (Participant), Nielsen, G. B. (Participant) & Sandager, J. (Participant)
European Co-operation in Science and Technology
01/03/2019 → …
Project: Research
Diversity Work as Mood Work in Education
Staunæs, D. (PI) & Vertelyté, M. (Participant)
Independent Research Fund Denmark
01/02/2020 → 30/09/2025
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{50d4da43871d47c7b05bbc384684e67b,

title = "Hopeful Things as Minor Interventions in Educational Atmospheres: A Diffractive Translation of Sara Ahmed{\textquoteright}s {\textquoteleft}Happy Objects{\textquoteright} to Nordic Diversity Work",

abstract = "Drawing on scholarship on affects, moods, and affective pedagogies in education, we explore how educators in a Danish gymnasium weaved hopes and anxieties into a school space and the specific things, such as books and bookshelves, to address and improve the inclusion of racialized students in school life. Based on a feminist new materialist and diffractive reading through translation of English-language based concepts through Danish grammar and language, we explore how the concept of the {"}happy object{"} as delineated by feminist scholar Sara Ahmed takes on a more hopeful interpretation when analyzed within the Danish educational context and language. We argue that {\textquoteleft}foreign{\textquoteright} concepts require careful consideration and adaptation to suit another (Danish) linguistic, cultural, and racial context. Making such adjustments is not just a matter of taking specificities of local contexts seriously, it is also a means of advancing theory that can inspire analyses conducted in a wider range of educational time-space-coordinates.",

keywords = "Diversity work, Diversity work;Affective pedagogies, racialization, happy objects, hope, local specificities",

author = "Dorthe Staun{\ae}s and Mant{\'e} Vertelyt{\'e}",

year = "2024",

doi = "10.7577/rerm.5865",

language = "English",

volume = "15",

pages = "3--22",

journal = "Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology",

issn = "1892-042X",

publisher = "Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences",

number = "1",

}

Hopeful Things as Minor Interventions in Educational Atmospheres: A Diffractive Translation of Sara Ahmed’s ‘Happy Objects’ to Nordic Diversity Work. / Staunæs, Dorthe; Vertelyté, Manté.
In: Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology, Vol. 15, No. 1, 2024, p. 3-22.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hopeful Things as Minor Interventions in Educational Atmospheres

T2 - A Diffractive Translation of Sara Ahmed’s ‘Happy Objects’ to Nordic Diversity Work

AU - Staunæs, Dorthe

AU - Vertelyté, Manté

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Drawing on scholarship on affects, moods, and affective pedagogies in education, we explore how educators in a Danish gymnasium weaved hopes and anxieties into a school space and the specific things, such as books and bookshelves, to address and improve the inclusion of racialized students in school life. Based on a feminist new materialist and diffractive reading through translation of English-language based concepts through Danish grammar and language, we explore how the concept of the "happy object" as delineated by feminist scholar Sara Ahmed takes on a more hopeful interpretation when analyzed within the Danish educational context and language. We argue that ‘foreign’ concepts require careful consideration and adaptation to suit another (Danish) linguistic, cultural, and racial context. Making such adjustments is not just a matter of taking specificities of local contexts seriously, it is also a means of advancing theory that can inspire analyses conducted in a wider range of educational time-space-coordinates.

AB - Drawing on scholarship on affects, moods, and affective pedagogies in education, we explore how educators in a Danish gymnasium weaved hopes and anxieties into a school space and the specific things, such as books and bookshelves, to address and improve the inclusion of racialized students in school life. Based on a feminist new materialist and diffractive reading through translation of English-language based concepts through Danish grammar and language, we explore how the concept of the "happy object" as delineated by feminist scholar Sara Ahmed takes on a more hopeful interpretation when analyzed within the Danish educational context and language. We argue that ‘foreign’ concepts require careful consideration and adaptation to suit another (Danish) linguistic, cultural, and racial context. Making such adjustments is not just a matter of taking specificities of local contexts seriously, it is also a means of advancing theory that can inspire analyses conducted in a wider range of educational time-space-coordinates.

KW - Diversity work

KW - Diversity work;Affective pedagogies

KW - racialization

KW - happy objects

KW - hope

KW - local specificities

U2 - 10.7577/rerm.5865

DO - 10.7577/rerm.5865

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1892-042X

VL - 15

SP - 3

EP - 22

JO - Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology

JF - Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology

IS - 1

ER -

Hopeful Things as Minor Interventions in Educational Atmospheres: A Diffractive Translation of Sara Ahmed’s ‘Happy Objects’ to Nordic Diversity Work

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Library access?

Fingerprint

Projects

The Policy Futures Research Program

Diversity Work as Mood Work in Education

Cite this