Cosmo-currere: Conventional to circumspective

Fay Bigloo

doi:10.70116/30654572137

Vol. 3 · Issue 3 · 2026 Oct 1, 2026 Special Issue: 50th Anniversary of Currere

Cosmo-currere: Conventional to circumspective

Fay Bigloo Corresponding University of British Columbia faybigloo59@gmail.com Canada

Pages272-289 PublishedOct 1, 2026 LicenseOpen Access

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VOL 3 · ISS 3 · 2026 Special Issue: 50th anniversary of Currere View issue

Abstract

Through autobiographical study, I explore the relations of my lived experiences with my academic interests. Conversations are complicated not only by the singularity of the individual, but also by the world, conceived here as historical and biospheric. Engagements with the worlds of within and without and study through and on the method of currere (Pinar, 1975) structure the research. Through unfolding collective and personal history, moments link together and eventually permeate consciousness, moving the Self^[1] and its academic interest forward. My question of being adds to the basic structure of currere, what I term cosmo-currere^[2]. This is a C++ threshold, in which the two plus signs stand for diversity and inter-relationality. Cosmo-currere represents a shift in focus from the social world to the natural environment in research for the benefits of both the historical and the biospheric worlds.

[1] Self in capital form is to disclose the agency of the human subject.

[2] The word “cosmo” in cosmo-currere comes from the classical phrase of “he oikoumene (ge)” meaning “the inhabited (earth)” (Online Etymology Dictionary, n.d.).

Keywords

#Autobiography #attunement and interiority #re-conceptualization #natural environment

References

Aoki, T. T., & Jacknicke, K. (2000). Language, culture, and curriculum. In W. F. Pinar & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), Curriculum in a new key: The collected works of Ted T. Aoki (pp. 321–329). Routledge.
Aoki, T. T. (1986/1991). Teaching as indwelling between two curriculum worlds. In W. F. Pinar & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), Curriculum in a new key: The collected works of Ted T. Aoki (pp. 159–165). Routledge.
Aoki, T. T. (1991). The sound of pedagogy in the silence of the morning calm. In W. F. Pinar & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), Curriculum in a new key: The collected works of Ted T. Aoki (pp. 398–401). Routledge.
Aoki, T. T. (1992). In the midst of slippery theme-words: Living as designers of Japanese Canadian curriculum. In W. F. Pinar & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), Curriculum in a new key: The collected works of Ted T. Aoki (pp. 263–277). Routledge.
Arendt, H. (2005). The promise of politics (J. Kohn, Ed.). Schocken Books.
Bigloo, F., Scott, S., & Adler, D. (2021). Understanding curriculum as geo/biospheric text. Prospects, 51, 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-021-09553-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-021-09553-x
Bigloo, F. (2022). Cosmo-currere: To understand curriculum as bio-geospheric justice and terra-didactic text (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). The University of British Columbia. https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0403343
Cheney, J. (1989). Postmodern environmental ethics: Ethics of bioregional narratives. Environmental Ethics, 11(2), 117–134. https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics198911231 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics198911231
Drengson, A., Schroll, M. A., & Devall, B. (2011). The deep ecology movement: Origins, development, and future prospects (toward a transpersonal ecosophy). International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 30(1–2), 101–117.
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202
Gadamer, H.-G. (2013). Truth and method (J. Weinsheimer & D. G. Marshall, Trans.). Bloomsbury Academic.
Grumet, M. R. (1988). Bitter milk: Women and teaching. The University of Massachusetts Press.
Heidegger, M. (2010). Being and time (J. Stambaugh, Trans.). State University of New York Press.
Huebner, D. E. (2008). The lure of the transcendent (V. Hillis, Ed.). Routledge. (Original work published 1975)
MacNeice, L. (1962). Collected poems: 1925–1948. Faber and Faber.
Merleau-Ponty, M. (2014). Phenomenology of perception (D. A. Landes, Trans.). Routledge. (Original work published 1945) DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203720714
Neff, K. D., & Vonk, R. (2009). Self-compassion versus global self-esteem: Two different ways of relating to oneself. Journal of Personality, 77(1), 23–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00537.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00537.x
Neumann, K. (2022). To touch upon: A tactile exploration of the Apadana reliefs at Persepolis. In K. Neumann & A. Thomason (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of the senses in the ancient Near East (1st ed., pp. 77–99). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429280207-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429280207-6
Online Etymology Dictionary. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved September 1, 2017, from https://www.etymonline.com/
Pinar, W. F. (1972). Humanities program: Critique and rationale (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University). OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1400071477
Pinar, W. F. (1975). The method of “currere.” Counterpoints, 2, 19–27.
Pinar, W. F. (2009). The worldliness of a cosmopolitan education: Passionate lives in public service. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203878699
Pinar, W. F. (2012). What is curriculum theory? (2nd ed.). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410609793
Pinar, W. F. (2015). Educational experience as lived knowledge, history, alterity: The selected works of William F. Pinar. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315752594
Pinar, W. F., & Reynolds, W. M. (2015). Understanding curriculum as phenomenological and deconstructed text. Educator’s International Press.
Pinar, W. F., Reynolds, W. M., Slattery, P., & Taubman, P. M. (1995). Understanding curriculum: An introduction to the study of historical and contemporary curriculum discourses. Peter Lang.

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§ 06 — Related

[1] Aoki, T. T., & Jacknicke, K. (2000). Language, culture, and curriculum. In W. F. Pinar & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), Curriculum in a new key: The collected works of Ted T. Aoki (pp. 321–329). Routledge.

[2] Aoki, T. T. (1986/1991). Teaching as indwelling between two curriculum worlds. In W. F. Pinar & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), Curriculum in a new key: The collected works of Ted T. Aoki (pp. 159–165). Routledge.

[3] Aoki, T. T. (1991). The sound of pedagogy in the silence of the morning calm. In W. F. Pinar & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), Curriculum in a new key: The collected works of Ted T. Aoki (pp. 398–401). Routledge.

[4] Aoki, T. T. (1992). In the midst of slippery theme-words: Living as designers of Japanese Canadian curriculum. In W. F. Pinar & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), Curriculum in a new key: The collected works of Ted T. Aoki (pp. 263–277). Routledge.

[5] Arendt, H. (2005). The promise of politics (J. Kohn, Ed.). Schocken Books.

[6] Bigloo, F., Scott, S., & Adler, D. (2021). Understanding curriculum as geo/biospheric text. Prospects, 51, 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-021-09553-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-021-09553-x

[7] Bigloo, F. (2022). Cosmo-currere: To understand curriculum as bio-geospheric justice and terra-didactic text (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). The University of British Columbia. https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0403343

[8] Cheney, J. (1989). Postmodern environmental ethics: Ethics of bioregional narratives. Environmental Ethics, 11(2), 117–134. https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics198911231 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics198911231

[9] Drengson, A., Schroll, M. A., & Devall, B. (2011). The deep ecology movement: Origins, development, and future prospects (toward a transpersonal ecosophy). International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 30(1–2), 101–117.

[10] Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202

[11] Gadamer, H.-G. (2013). Truth and method (J. Weinsheimer & D. G. Marshall, Trans.). Bloomsbury Academic.

[12] Grumet, M. R. (1988). Bitter milk: Women and teaching. The University of Massachusetts Press.

[13] Heidegger, M. (2010). Being and time (J. Stambaugh, Trans.). State University of New York Press.

[14] Huebner, D. E. (2008). The lure of the transcendent (V. Hillis, Ed.). Routledge. (Original work published 1975)

[15] MacNeice, L. (1962). Collected poems: 1925–1948. Faber and Faber.

[16] Merleau-Ponty, M. (2014). Phenomenology of perception (D. A. Landes, Trans.). Routledge. (Original work published 1945) DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203720714

[17] Neff, K. D., & Vonk, R. (2009). Self-compassion versus global self-esteem: Two different ways of relating to oneself. Journal of Personality, 77(1), 23–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00537.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00537.x

[18] Neumann, K. (2022). To touch upon: A tactile exploration of the Apadana reliefs at Persepolis. In K. Neumann & A. Thomason (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of the senses in the ancient Near East (1st ed., pp. 77–99). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429280207-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429280207-6

[19] Online Etymology Dictionary. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved September 1, 2017, from https://www.etymonline.com/

[20] Pinar, W. F. (1972). Humanities program: Critique and rationale (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University). OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1400071477

[21] Pinar, W. F. (1975). The method of “currere.” Counterpoints, 2, 19–27.

[22] Pinar, W. F. (2009). The worldliness of a cosmopolitan education: Passionate lives in public service. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203878699

[23] Pinar, W. F. (2012). What is curriculum theory? (2nd ed.). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410609793

[24] Pinar, W. F. (2015). Educational experience as lived knowledge, history, alterity: The selected works of William F. Pinar. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315752594

[25] Pinar, W. F., & Reynolds, W. M. (2015). Understanding curriculum as phenomenological and deconstructed text. Educator’s International Press.

[26] Pinar, W. F., Reynolds, W. M., Slattery, P., & Taubman, P. M. (1995). Understanding curriculum: An introduction to the study of historical and contemporary curriculum discourses. Peter Lang.

Cosmo-currere: Conventional to circumspective

Abstract

Keywords

References

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