Spaces of Commoning, in Berlin and Other Cities, and Their Potential for the Building of Sustainable Social Communities and Educational Cultures
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Authors
Painter, Janet
Broecher, Joachim
Issue Date
2019-04
Keywords
Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences::Education::International education , Public Education , Cultural Relevance
Description/Abstract
As educators, we strive for accessible, just and inclusive educational options for all children and youth, including those from vulnerable social strata. We reflect the processes inside of educational institutions, and examine the social, cultural and economic processes surrounding and overarching these institutional spaces. Guided by a growing literature about the `creative city´ in the social sciences, we started extended field studies in Berlin. The driving motivation behind this endeavour is an educational one and hopes to collect ideas for the building of innovative school cultures. Cities increasingly have become focal points for negotiating rights, living space, and access, with many cities balancing the coexistence of privilege with the lack of opportunity. Innovative projects which explore new forms of ownership and access, collective production and reproduction, right and solidarity, provide valuable impetus for more sustainable forms of community development and public education. To cite as an example: The ifa-touring exhibition `An Atlas of Commoning: Places of Collective Production´, made in collaboration with ARCH+ in 2018. In the sense of true solidarity and togetherness, the project seeks to revitalize the emancipatory concept of `us´. In this endeavor, Aby Warburg´s concept of the atlas is used, as a form of cultural mapping. This `atlas´ documents trendsetting urban projects related to `commoning´ - a set of practices dealing with the production and management of collective resources and spaces. These include a process in which networks of solidarity are created, and individual and collective rights are redefined. Inspired by `An Atlas of Commoning´ the poster provides a review of selected projects shown in the exhibition and discusses the potential of the concept of commoning from an educational perspective. It offers a theoretical framework for connecting urban studies and education science, with a strong focus on redefining the collective rights of children and youth who are vulnerable in their development and learning.