Signifying the Transition from Modern to Post-Modern Schooling... 5inanimate objects, they are embodiments of myths, ideas, and ideologies. Their utility far
exceeds their use: they refer to a whole universe of significations. Therefore, artifacts used in
schools and their components could be regarded as signs. Thus, school space is approached
here as an archival space that renders spatial-social-political information visible.
Following this line of argument one can juxtapose the material culture of schools with the
well established pedagogic notion of a pervasive ̳hidden curriculum‘. The ̳visible but hidden
curriculum‘ is important because it reflects implicit powerful forces that shape everyday
school activities. A fuller explanation lies in an understanding of school culture. Halpin and
Croft, (1963) applied the term ̳organizational climate‘ to educational settings, transplanting
longstanding concepts from studies of organizations. Subsequently a wide range of
metaphors, for example, climate, ethos, atmosphere, character, tone and culture were used to
evoke the uniqueness of complex organizations like hospitals, banks and schools. Ogbonna‘s
definition of organizational culture captured the essence of these metaphors:
―... the interweaving of the individual into a community and the collective programming
of the mind that distinguishes members of one known group from another. It is the values,
norms, beliefs and customs that an individual holds in common with members of the social
unit or group.‖ (Ogbonna 1993, p.42).
Therefore, the material culture of schooling ̳unquestioned and unconscious‘ (Schein
1992, p.239) forms a ̳hidden curriculum‘ that is all the more powerful because it is visible
but unseen. Material technologies are not neutral and do not arrive in the school free from
purpose and ideology. Places may function as condensations and concretizations of historical
experience.
In the following section we will describe the most basic features of two ideal types of
schooling that can be identified over the last century, namely the modern and post-modern
schooling respectively. The features of these two ideal types will be ̳translated‘ to the
theoretical language developed by Basil Bernstein. Then we will present an inventory of
various semiotic resources related to the material culture of schools that could be used for
tracing the cultural shift from the one type of schooling to the other. The two registers are
illustrated by reference to specific case studies. Finally, potential implications for structuring
learners‘ identities as well as for policy making will be discussed.
2. MODERN AND POST-MODERN SCHOOLING:
A BERNSTEINIAN ANALYSIS
In order to better understand and interpret how school practices have evolved, a
theoretical framework is needed. The work of Basil Bernstein in the field of sociology of
education offers such a framework, and, in particular, his notion of the pedagogic discourse is
particularly helpful to the analysis. Specifically, according to Bernstein, pedagogic discourse
is a single discourse tending to regulate issues of knowledge, pedagogy, assessment and
social relations within any educational institution (Bernstein, 2000). Therefore, the notion of
the pedagogic discourse allows the identification of three crucial features for identifying ideal
types of schooling, namely: a) the criteria for content selection, b) the objectives
foregrounded and the associated modes of assessment, and c) the kind of social relationships
established within the corresponding school communities.