Kagan (2004) conceptualises CP as being focused around a set of values which underpin
the way in which CP is undertaken. These three values are: Justice, a concern for
social justice and therefore to working with marginalised people towards empowerment;
Stewardship, a duty to maximise human and material resources emphasising
strengths of all involved; and Community, a hope for companionship, love and
tolerance which recognises difference and is committed to reflective practice.
There is, I argue, much overlap in the two approaches outlined above. Communities
of practice articulate a social approach to learning which embraces participation
and asymmetry (where knowledge can be acquired by any member). CP similarly
advocates participation and collaboration – the sharing of knowledge with others.
Both approaches foster the de-expertising of knowledge. In the communities of
practice account, the participation of learners in practices shapes not only what is
learnt but also the community of practice itself. In CP, psychological knowledge
which traditionally belongs to professionals is shared freely through collaboration.
Here, professional identities are eschewed in favour of shared platforms. Articulating
the ways in which CP is based on values and non-professional practice (by this I mean,
not formally recognised in the UK as a chartered practitioner) entails a rather different
form of pedagogy. I turn to this in the next section.