GLAADH Workshop

9-10 November 2001
University Of Sussex
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)

Friday 9 November

Saturday 10 November

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Overview
Some issues raised

Prof Craig Clunas’ opening address proposed that the GLAADH Workshop be taken as an opportunity to exchange practices, problems and experiences in diversifying the AADH curriculum. He registered the project team’s awareness of the existing diversity of practices within the field. This was something that had not been fully recognised in the recent round of Subject Review conducted under the QAA, yet was revealed in the course of a GLAADH survey. The survey also brought out the strong willingness to share amongst departments.

Also voiced were concerns over the dangers of an uncritical move toward diversity, and a host of other complex issues. Building on the keenness of those participating in the project, Craig expressed the hope that the following days of discussions and presentations would serve to focus and further these enthusiasms, whilst beginning to tackle and face the breadth of current concerns.

A further issue raised by Craig Clunas (Sussex) was that there is a tendency to think that introducing studies of cultural diversity into the curriculum means focusing on cultural diversity as if it were separate and ignoring other issues of diversity (sexualities, class, gender, religious affiliations etc.) as they interrelate with cultural diversities.

Another conference speaker Irit Rogoff (Goldsmiths) underlined that cultural diversity needed to be studied in terms of diversity to be found in what is considered to be 'safely' within the traditions of western art and inside the geographical spaces of 'the west' rather than being separated out into looking at things supposedly beyond a notional 'west'. Irit Rogoff reported that colleagues at Goldsmiths had been conducting a series of successful experiments in curriculum design so as to ensure the fullest possible integration of the study of cultural diversity. Courses had been designed to investigate a variety of themes and issues rather than aiming to 'cover' periods, styles or places. She reported that the organisation of the curriculum in this way had helped to elide the notions of boundaries and hierarchies between 'the west and the rest' which may be reinforced in courses which posit discrete geographical and chronological entities, and definition of styles.

Another recurrent issue had to do with the role of the specialist, and the legitimacy or appropriateness of teaching outside one’s own area of expertise. Although some speakers voiced concern at the possible erosion of standards arising from a ‘dilettante’ approach and the negative consequences it might have for existing specialists in the job market, most speakers supported the idea of non-specialists approaching new subjects. John Picton (SOAS) said that "there’s nothing I do that anyone else couldn’t do", while Robert Hillenbrand (Edinburgh University) noted the accessibility and potential of Islamic materials for teaching and learning, while emphasizing that subjects such as Islamic art benefit from the enormous freedom of not having to deal with three hundred years of accumulated scholarship. There is elbow room to address bold new topics and engage in new avenues of research.

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