Why and how we should talk about pedagogical tact

ABSTRACT

Our contribution argues for some differentiations in the recurring debates about pedagogical tact. To this end, we will proceed in three steps. First we will refer to classical aspects of pedagogical tact such as its intermediate function between general conceptions and the specifics of concrete pedagogical situations. In a second step we will refer to Plessner and highlight that underlying the pedagogical dimensions of tact there are social dimensions of tactful behavior. Thirdly, we further develop this aspect by asking about the current social framings of tact in pedagogical fields. Our argument is that the contextualizing of tact is relevant in two ways: First, it can prevent us from placing overly high expectations on individual action. Second, it directs our attention to the fact that tact also manifests itself in how we deal with the social framing of pedagogical arrangements and not just in the actions within these arrangements.

KEYWORDS:

• Pedagogical tact
• social tact
• Plessner
• political frames
• mediation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. All citations originally in German have been translated by the authors.

2. It is with particular regard to the relations between private and public education that a description of dissolving – or blurring – boundaries seems appropriate to us. As phenomena of defamilialization (children spend more time in more pedagogical institutions earlier in their lives) and (re)familialization (families are being made more responsible for the academic success of their children) can be observed at the same time, it is not just a matter of shifting boundaries in one direction or the other.