The pedagogy of impartiality

This article explores the pedagogical practices embedded within two different professional educational programmes in Denmark (BA of Social Education and BA of Public Administration), focusing on the conflict between the epistemic norm of impartiality under conditions of intersectionality. The norm of impartiality is understood differently across these educational programmes. It is rooted in different understandings of the purposes of the state, and subsequently the importance of values such as equality and equity, and thereby suited to different kinds of professional practices. However, it is consistently influenced by intersectional elements that challenge the single-axis framework by confronting it with the reality of multiple inequalities (Crenshaw,1989). The question is how the two educational institutions strive to develop the competences to navigate in this tension between these two norms. This involves analyzing the meaning of impartiality and intersectionality within each programme as well as the values and methods used to cultivate these professional qualities. Additionally, the study examines how the institutional purposes of professional work influence the tension between the concepts of impartiality under conditions of and intersectionality and their broader societal transformations.