Nel Noddings Care Theory

Who She Is Nel Noddings is an educational theorist who is most well known for her thinking on the ethics of care. Noddings is considered a progressive educator based on her feminist and social constructivist viewpoints

Born in 1929 Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Montclair State College, New Jersey; Master’s degree in Mathematics from Rutgers University, New Jersey; Doctorate in Educational Philosophy from Stanford University. (Smith) 1949-1972 – Elementary and high school teacher and administrator in New Jersey Public Schools Raised 10 children and considers herself “incurably domestic” (O’Toole)

“We should want more from our educational efforts than adequate academic achievement, and we will not achieve even that meager success unless our children believe that they themselves are cared for and learn to care for others.”               -- Nel Noddings

The Ethics of Care Noddings believes that “Authentic human liberation and social justice can only be achieved by caring people in caring communities” (Bergman, 2004) She sees education as being central to the cultivation of caring in society. (Smith, 2004) Therefore, caring should be taught in schools. “As we build an ethic on caring and as we examine education under its guidance, we shall see that the greatest obligation of educators, inside and outside formal schooling, is to nuture the ethical ideals of those with whom they come in contact.” Nel Noddings (Bergman)                                               Caring can be taught and educators should focus on teaching kids to care in schools.

What is Caring? The need to be cared for is a human universal (Bergman, 2004) Noddings says that in a caring situation we will notice that we are attentive in a special way and that receptive attention is an essential characteristic of a caring encounter. A caring encounter has 3 elements, according to Noddings: 1. A cares for B – that is A’s consciousness is characterized by engrossment and motivational displacement 2. A performs some act in accordance with (1) 3. B recognizes that A cares for B (Smith, 2004)

Why Noddings says Caring is so Important “Caring parents and teachers provide the conditions in which it is possible and attractive for children to respond as carers to others. We show them how to care. Children educated in this way gradually build an ethical ideal, a dependable caring self. A society composed of people capable of caring – people who habitually draw in a well-established ideal -will move toward social policies consonant with an ethical care” (Bergmen, 2004)

Caring For vs. Caring About Caring for is when one cares directly for another. Caring-about is more general. We “care-about” what happens to the poor in other countries, so we donate money to the cause. Noddings states that “learning first what it means to be cared for, then to care for intimate others, and finally to care about those we cannot care for directly”. Once we achieve this was can start building a more ideal republic. (Smith, 2004) In order to care-about issues in our society, we must first learn what it is like to be cared-for then we learn to care-for others and finally to care about others.(Smith, 2004)

Noddings Recommendations Noddings believes that first we need to state that our main aim of education is to produce competent, caring people Take care of affiliative needs -keep students and teachers together more than one year Relax the impulse to control – give teachers, students, and parents more room to experiment, then learn from this. Provide excellent, enriching programs for all children – college and non-college bound Give part of everyday to themes of care Teach By Example!!

Modeling~ this is showing through your own behavior what it means to care. It is demonstrated in our relations with our students. Dialogue~ engaging in conversation about caring and exploring all the different ways it can be manifested. As we care about others the feedback we get from the recipients of our care help us to evaluate our own attempts to care. Practice~ Nel Noddings (1998: 191) argues that the experiences in which we immerse ourselves tend to produce a ‘mentality’. ‘If we want to produce people who will care for another, then it makes sense to give students practice in caring and reflection on that practice’.  Confirmation~ Confirmation is affirming and encouraging the best in others. Confirmation involves trust and continuity. One must know the person they are confirming and the person my see the confirmer as credible and trustworthy.

? ? ? ? ? Nel Noddings poses five questions to encourage educators to think about curriculum in new ways. 1. How is caring an essential part of teaching? 2. Why is it important to teach children to care? 3. How can caring be incorporated into the curriculum? 4. Are some subject areas better suited than others for teaching themes of caring? 5. What might a curriculum that included themes of caring look like and how would it be implemented?

Bibliography Bergman, R. (2004). Caring for the ethical ideal: Nel Noddings on Moral Education. Journal of Moral Education, 33(2), 149-161. Smith, M. K. (2004). Nel Noddings, the ethics of care and education. Retrieved Jan. 10, 2005, from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/noddings.htm. Noddings, N. (1997). A morally defensible mission for schools in the 21st century. Retrieved Jan. 10, 2005, from http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/Dkitchen/TE652/noddings.htm Noddings, Nel (1999) 'Two concepts of caring', Philosophy of Education. Retrieved January 10, 2005, from http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/EPS/PES-yearbook/1999/noddings.asp. O'Toole, K. (1998) 'Noddings: To know what matters to you, observe your actions', fxStanford Online Report, February 4, 1998. http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/1998/february4/noddings.html