Reflexivity:
A Threshold Concept?
Lee Wilson (CRASSH, CARET), David Leitner (Social Anthropology)
Reflexivity
Teacher Perspectives
A major component of an undergraduate social anthropology degree is
comparative methodology. Through the use of anthropological monographs the
aim is to challenge the preconceptions students might have and demonstrate that
there are different ways of thinking and being in the world. The aim then is to
encourage reflexivity and critical engagements with the literature, to bring into
question the categories and concepts in relation to other models of knowledge
and ways of engaging critically with the world. However, reflexivity, as the ability
to reflect not just on others assumptions and preconceptions, but to
simultaneously use them to reflect on one’s own, is not only a technique
anthropologists use to interrogate literature, but it underlies anthropological
approaches to research and knowledge production in general.
At an undergraduate level the notion of
threshold concept that we examine here is
instructional. That is, the learning objective is
to encourage in the students a degree of
reflexivity and critical thinking such that they
might then begin to question the underpinnings
of their own accounts of self, person, the
social, knowledge, etc. Reflexivity also serves
as a foundational principle of anthropological
research later in their degrees and beyond at
the postgraduate and professional levels.
Learner Perspectives
Anthropological inquiry is a model of knowledge that is based upon asking openended questions, underpinned by a conception of ‘knowledge’ not as a
cumulative resource, but as a practice. As such anthropological knowledge
practices are given to reflection and critical examination, argued from a body of
‘evidence’ that is primarily qualitative and experiential.
Why a Threshold Concept?
A focus group held with first year students
identified the following issues that they felt
characterized social anthropology after their
first terms teaching. That it was about the
attempt to identify levels of bias, being aware
of and critical of preconceptions and points of
view, anxiety over where one might ground
one’s own interpretations, critical thinking, and
ultimately whether social anthropology as a
discipline is itself necessary.
Implications
To some extent the very notion of threshold
Is reflexivity a Threshold Concept? Well, it might be transformative, in that, by definition, concepts presumes that knowledge is
it requires students to make a major shift in their understanding of the world. Inasmuch as it bounded, which in itself bounds our ability to
is a necessary precursor for interrogating taken-for granted topics such as gender, politics
investigate troublesome concepts. Although
or power, it could be said to be integrative. The notion of irreversibility, however, does
reflexivity lacks certain aspects of the
not sit easily with the notion of reflexivity. The practice of social anthropology assumes that canonical definition of a threshold concept, it
there is more than one way to think through and about things, to engage critically with the
also seems to be an essential part of educating
world. Ideas can’t necessarily be considered irreversible in the sense that once they are
anthropologists and practicing anthropology.
learned they are fixed in place and difficult to unlearn. The practice of reflexivity demands
However, reflexivity is also arguably something
that just because you have learned something doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be revisited and
that is important to any undergraduate degree.
questioned again. Likewise, anthropological notions of knowledge would also suggest that This brings into question the level at which one
no idea can in fact be irreversible because once learned it will always have an effect on
might begin to think about threshold concepts.
subsequent knowledge, and can never be completely ‘unlearned’. Boundedness also
Are they only of use within a specific context?
seems to be a problem for reflexivity. First, as a knowledge practice it is expansive, allowing Or could they be thought of at varying degrees
one to ask questions about any topic. Second, it is not only relevant to social anthropology. of abstraction, from specific instructional
At its heart, the practice is rooted in the same skills of critical thinking and skeptical inquiry
principles to the more general and widely
that underlie most scientific and critical disciplines. Finally, it is certainly a problematic
applicable. If reflexivity is not a threshold
concept. It is always difficult to think reflexively and to challenge one’s own presuppositions concept then what kind of knowledge is it?
in relation to seemingly fundamental topics like sex and gender. Students also described
What is the implication of knowledge which
the way that reflexivity became a way of thinking outside of anthropology for them and were transforms and integrates other knowledge but
sometimes irritated that they found they couldn’t take anything for granted anymore.
does so in part because it crosses boundaries?
“Transforming Perspectives: Technology to Support Teaching and Learning of Threshold Concepts” is an ESRC/EPSRC
Technology Enhanced Learning Project and is part of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme.
It is directed from the Centre for Applied Research into Educational Technologies by Dr. Patrick Carmichael.
Project Contact: Dr. Naomi Irvine, CARET, 16 Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1SB.
Email: 01223 765362 Project Website: http://www.caret.cam.ac.uk/tel