By Dr Pam Seanor.
The idea of this book took off from the 3E conference with invited participants who, like us, had voiced their interest and concerns regarding entrepreneurship education, experiencing a gap between entrepreneurship practices we studied and found in textbooks and what we felt was asked for in the classroom. I had the pleasure to be invited to co-facilitate a PDW and have now published a book chapter on my work:
Seanor, P. (2018). A space on the side of the road: creating space for a critical approach to entrepreneurship. K. Berglund, JK. Verduijn. In: Revitalizing entrepreneurship education: adopting a critical approach in the classroom. Routledge, pp.99-118.
Book description: Within mainstream scholarship, it’s assumed without question that entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education are desirable and positive economic activities. Drawing on a wide range of theoretical approaches and political-philosophical perspectives, critical entrepreneurship studies has emerged to ask the questions which this assumption obscures.
Students of entrepreneurship need to understand why and how entrepreneurship is seen as a moral force which can solve social problems or protect the environment, or even to tackle political problems. It is time to evaluate how such contributions and insights have entered our classrooms. How much – if any – critical discussion and insight enters our classrooms? How do we change when students demand to be taught “how to do it”, not to be critical or reflexive.
If educators are to bring alternative perspectives into the classroom, it will entail a new way of thinking. There is a need to share ideas and practical approaches, and that is what the contributions to this volume aim to do and to illuminate new ways forward in entrepreneurship education.
If you would like more information about this book the please contact Pam directly.