Over the past several decades, scientists have discovered a tremendous amount about the biology of stress and trauma, including the ways in which they shape children’s behaviour and learning, both in the classroom and beyond. Teaching staff who are enthused by this information often feel confused by the resistance with which it is greeted from some quarters of education (or health, criminal justice and care). In this presentation, research scientist Dr Suzanne Zeedyk will unpack the dynamics of resistance, looking particularly at the reasons denial makes logical and psychological sense. Resistance to relational practice can be based in ideology or in practical pressures, but emotional processes such as shame, guilt and threat to the sense of self play a part much more often than we consider. Zeedyk’s approach of looking at historical changes to children’s care, through the lens of ‘Fierce Curiosity’, helps us to see ourselves more clearly in the present day.
Fierce Curiosity: Making Sense of Resistance and Denial