Time: Thursday, 29/Aug/2024: 15:45 - 17:15 Session Chair: Christoforos Mamas |
Location: Room 110 in ΧΩΔ 02 (Common Teaching Facilities [CTF02]) [Floor 1] Cap: 64 |
Paper
Lived Experience of Rehabilitation: A Practice-Based Theory of Life-Changes and Learning
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Presenting Author:For some people, life goes on without much happening, while for others, major life-changing events occur during their lifetime. Having an extensive visual impairment or becoming blind as an adult is an example of an event that often changes the fundamentals of life. Based on lifeworld phenomenological theory and philosophy, this new life situation can be said to mean that the world changes if the body changes, since the world is experienced via our lived body (Merleau-Ponty, 2012). Visual perception is central to our perceptual relationship with the world and it is essential to develop in-depth knowledge of how other senses can come into play. This is also about learning to deal with a new life situation. The question is therefore central to educational theory.
The purpose of this study is to use lifeworld phenomenological theory to understand what it means to have a severe visual impairment or become blind and how people learn to deal with this new life-situation. In addition, the study aims to develop a practice-based theory of changed life-situation and learning. It is about fundamentally understanding the existential situation of experiencing and learning to live in a changed lifeworld.
The empirical material on which the theory development is based consists of an empirical study where the aim was to study and clarify pedagogical processes with a focus on the learning of people with visual impairment. The theoretical work is also based on a previously conducted study (Berndtsson, 2001). As a theoretical basis, lifeworld phenomenological theory is used, focusing on human existence. The concept of lifeworld as developed by Heidegger (2013), Merleau-Ponty (2012) and Schutz (1962) is central as it offers an openness to the fact that the world can be experienced differently for different people and differently from time to time. The lifeworld here offers an openness to studying changes in life and thereby focusing on central pedagogical issues. As the study concerns changing relationships between life and the world, the lived body (Merleau-Ponty, 1912) is also a central starting point, not least because of how perception links the body and the world. Other theoretical starting points are lived space and lived time, intersubjectivity and social world, and horizon as both openness and limitation (van Peursen, 1977). The main focus of the study is the everyday lifeworld (Schütz, 1962), a world where people, through their actions and behaviors, shape a world together with others. Everyday activities are also central as the body, according to Schütz, can be seen as the tool that changes the world. In vision rehabilitation, other tools also come into play, such as the white cane, which needs to be learned to be used in order to get around in the new, changed world, which in itself includes existence, identity and the social world (Berndtsson, 2018). The study has also developed its own concepts such as existential body, perceptual body, social body and the body of activity.
The focus of this presentation is the developed practice-based theory. The starting point is the lifeworld changed by visual impairment and how this situation appears to the participants in the study. In many cases, the change can be described as a break in life as it is no longer possible to engage and act in the world in the same way as before. In accordance with the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty (2012), the break can also be seen as a gap between life and the world. In this context, learning is seen as that which through experience and action is able to reconnect life and the world in its different dimensions (Bengtsson & Berndtsson, 2015).
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used
A lifeworld phenomenological approach (Bengtsson, 2005, 2013a) was the guiding principle for the empirical study. It was conducted at a rehabilitation unit where six people who were in need of rehabilitation participated. The group consisted of three women and three men aged 30-63 years.
Through participant observation (Taylor & Bogdan, 1998), the subjects were followed as they learned to use a long cane, orient themselves in environments, etc. (45 observations in total). Notes were taken during the training sessions and later developed on a computer. Regular interviews were conducted in the form of conversations and stories (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009) to capture the participants' lived experiences and reflect together on what was observed (6-7 interviews with each participant).
Using a combination of participant observation and interviews has been very useful in capturing lived experience. Participating in the orientation and mobility (O&M) classes provided the opportunity to study how the participants' living bodies related to different environments or spaces. Existential and social aspects were also noted during the training sessions. The interviews have been characterized by trust and interaction. The fact that visits were also made to the participants' homes provided an additional source of how their visual impairment appears in their everyday world. All material was recorded and transcribed.
Hermeneutics as a process of interpretation has primarily been used (Ödman, 2007). Here it has been a matter of approaching the meanings of the texts through repeated readings and trying to identify different parts that could be put together into larger wholes. The lifeworld phenomenological theory has been important in that the interpretations have been related to the theoretical basis. For example, the theory of the living body has been given concrete significance in the development of various possible interpretations.
The development of the theory has taken place as a further development of the developed interpretations by putting them together in a larger whole. In this last step, the concrete lifeworld has been left behind in favor of a more theoretical presentation of the learning processes in an existential and lifeworld phenomenological perspective. Theory development can also be compared to an abductive process where empirical data and theory are woven together with an openness to both emotional and bodily aspects in the research process and knowledge formation (Berndtsson & Vikner Stafberg, 2023). It can be said to be about putting words to the elusive life that has not yet been expressed.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings
Central to understanding the changed life situation is that the starting point is human existence and the individual's experience of the world. Initially, visual impairment or blindness can be said to constitute a limited life where habitual life has broken down. This can also be understood as a break in life that creates a gap between life and the world. The body is often experienced as an object and not always as the subject that usually forms the basis for being and acting in the world. In this gap, life sometimes comes to a standstill. Starting to perform activity can be said to bring me back to the world via my lived body, which I may not initially be ready for.
The starting point for learning to deal with the new world is the gap identified between the body and the world. To take possession of the new world, a number of horizons need to be conquered. The time horizon needs to be opened up and widened so that the psyche is no longer stuck in the present. This also means recognizing the body as it is right now. The perceptual body needs to learn to relate anew to space as it is now experienced, often with the help of other senses, such as touch and hearing. The horizon of possibilities needs to be expanded, which is often done by experiencing that others with a similar body can do different things, which is also related to identity. Overall, it is a matter of learning a new way of performing activities with your living experiencing body (Bengtsson, 2013b), of actively grasping the new world. In the practice-based theory, this is described as a pedagogy of in-between spaces consisting of a multitude of intertwinings of different dimensions in relation to a world.
References
Bengtsson, J. (2005) En livsvärldsansats för pedagogisk forskning [A lifeworld approach for research in education]. In J. Bengtsson (Ed.), Med livsvärlden som grund [With the lifeworld as ground] (pp. 9-58). Studentlitteratur.
Bengtsson, J. (2013a) With the lifeworld as ground. A research approach for empirical research in education: the Gothenburg tradition. Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, 13(Special Edition September), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.2989/IPJP.2013.13.2.4.1178
Bengtsson, J. (2013b) Embodied experience in educational practice and research. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 32(1), 39-53. DOI 10.1007/s11217-012-9328-1.
Bengtsson, J., & Berndtsson, I. C. (2015) Students and teachers learning in school - lifeworld phenomenological basis. In J. Bengtsson & I. C. Berndtsson (Eds.), Learning from a lifeworld perspective (pp. 15-34). Gleerups.
Berndtsson, I. (2001) Shifting horizons. Livsförändring och lärande i samband med synnedsättning eller blindhet [Shifting horizons. Life changes and learning related to visual impairment or blindness] (Gothenburg Studies in Educational Sciences, 159) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Gothenburg]. Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis. http://hdl.handle.net/2077/15271
Berndtsson, I. C. (2018) Considering the concepts of the lived body and the lifeworld as tools for better understanding the meaning of assistive technology in everyday life. ALTER, European Journal of Disability Research, 12, 140-152. https://doi-org.ezproxy.ub.gu.se/10.1016/j.alter.2018.01.001
Berndtsson, I. C. & Vikner Stafberg, M. (2022). The contribution of lifeworld phenomenology to abduction within pedagogical research: The example of becoming a teacher. Pedagogisk forskning i Sverige, 27(4), 62-82. https://doi.org/10.15626/pfs27.04.04.
Heidegger, M. (2013). Being and time [Varat och tiden] (Trans. J. Jakobsson). Daidalos (originally published 1927).
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). Den kvalitativa forskningsintervjun [The qualitative research interview] (2nd ed.). Studentlitteratur.
Merleau-Ponty, M. (2012). Phenomenology of perception (Trans. D. A. Landes). Routledge (originally published 1945)
van Peursen, C. A. (1977). The horizon. In. F. A. Elliston & P. Mc Cormick (Eds.), Husserl: Expositions and appraisals (pp. 182-201). University of Notre Dame Press.
Schutz, A. (1962). The problem of social reality (Collected Papers I). Martinus Nijhoff.
Taylor, S. J., & Bogdan, R. (1998) Introduction to qualitative research methods (3rd Ed.) John Wiley & Sons.
Ödman, P-J. (2007). Interpretation, understanding, knowing. Hermeneutics in theory and practice. [Interpretation, understanding, knowledge. Hermeneutics in theory and practice]. Norstedts.
Paper
Inclusion as critique
Humboldt Universty Berlin, Germany
Presenting Author:This presentation discusses the potential of inclusion from a theoretical perspective of collective processes of Bildung, with a focus on its transformative and ideology-critical aspects. It is reflected upon the findings of the doctoral dissertation, which investigated nine group discussions in the founding initiatives of inclusive schools. The presentation aims to answer the question of how a common vision of inclusion is created. Given that we are all involved in hegemonic relations, it is important to consider how these relations intersect with hegemonic ideas, both implicitly and explicitly. Throughout the research, the concept of critique, particularly in relation to ideology, became a central focus. Therefore, the criticism is not only directed towards the inadequate implementation of inclusion but also towards the norm itself, without completely rejecting it.
Inclusion is an increasingly popular term, but it remains a code without a concrete meaning (Boger et al. 2021). Even the CRPD only describes its purpose and objectives, rather than offering a definition. A first common basis can be the understanding of Inclusion as an active process of anti- or non-discrimination, which entails a broad understanding of inclusion as unifying sexism, racism, ableism and classism-critical theory (Boger 2017; Calloni 2005). This already hints at the intimate and contradictory interweaving of the concept of inclusion (or anti-discrimination) with its counter-concept of exclusion (or discrimination) (ibid; Lanwer 2015; Wocken 2021). The concepts form a dialectical unity of opposites that denote relationships, dependent on and interwoven with social practice, in its past and present, in which social actors can act and realize what is possible in opposition. The issue of social inclusion and exclusion is closely tied to social power relations. Therefore, the practice of critique is crucial. Exclusion criteria can reveal how societies are organized, the ideologies they pursue, and the power structures that individuals ultimately navigate (Moser, 2018, p. 8). Inclusion cannot be seen as an achievable moral – and therefore harmless – demand that can be incorporated into the current hegemony. That would be a 'passive revolution' (Gramsci 2012), a restoration of fragile power relations in order to stabilize them. Instead, more interesting are the challenges to established knowledge systems and power structures that are specific to inclusion.
Based on the thesis that building social consensus does not work as a top-down-strategy (Moser/Egger 2017: 15), this study focuses on group practices of creating visions of inclusion. By using the German concept of Bildung it is possible to research and explain the inconclusive, open, and teleologically indeterminate processes of individual transformations in perspectives and attitudes (Buttigieg, Calleja 2021, S. 3; Koller 2018 & 2020). The text proposes an approach to collective processes of Bildung regarding inclusion/exclusion by linking it to the philosophy of praxis (Gramsci 2012) and a critical theory of ideology. The aim is to present collective Bildung or changes to inclusion as a radical questioning rather than a harmonious process (as Bildung was for Humboldt). I aim to examine the potential of these processes for ideology-critique in an analytical and transgressive sense. This involves targeting the inner (self-) contradictions without directly opposing the new, as it arises from criticisms (Jaeggi 2019; Gramsci 2012; Rehmann 2020).
It is essential to comprehend inclusion as a political project that aims to change social practice towards decolonization and overcome social exclusion (Jantzen 2019). The objective of this presentation is to offer an understanding of inclusion as a theoretical and practical dialectic, which will serve as an emancipatory and transformative critique. Although the contradiction and dialectic of the terms may never be resolved, their relationship can change, as can their effectiveness and meaning.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used
As previously argued, the research project has an ideology-critical orientation and employs the documentary method to reconstruct the action practices of the founding initiatives. Both methods used are contradictory and cannot be reconciled. However, they can still engage in a productive debate, as argued in this text, and enhance the value of the research. The documentary method originates from the meta-theoretical aspects of Mannheim's sociology of knowledge and the reconstructive method developed within it (Bohnsack 2017, p. 62). Mannheim's (1929; [1926] 1964) work is considered pioneering as he distinguished between two levels of knowledge: communicative/explicit and conjunctive/implicit and identified a discrepancy between them. This approach allows for the reconstruction of thinking styles based on their constitution. However, the task of the sociology of knowledge – its metatheory – is limited to reconstruction. It employs an all-encompassing concept of knowledge, which omits the critical concept of ideology and the distinction between valid and invalid knowledge. Consequently, it advocates for the whole and accepts it instead of criticizing it. Therefore, it becomes an affirmative social theory (Heeren 1971; Weyand 2021, pp. 70-71). Gramsci's main focus is transformation, which makes his thoughts and subsequent critique of ideology relevant to critical inclusion theory and research. An ideology-critical approach to inclusion aims to delegitimize inequality relations, address the risks of exclusion, and overcome barriers in society. Jaeggi (2019, p. 270) argues that the critique of domination involves critiquing self-sufficiency and decoding these mechanisms as forms of domination. It is therefore reconstructed how the group fills inclusion with meaning, to what extent a common understanding of inclusion is created, which guiding orientations can be reconstructed in this process and how they deal with the limits of their own horizons of meaning - all of these are questions for empiricism. The question of whether the empirically reconstructed understanding of inclusion contains transformational potential is central to the subsequent ideology-critical discussion. This involves examining the extent to which collective processes of Bildung can be reconstructed and how inclusion oscillates between power-stabilizing, reproducing projects and transformative, ideology-critical projects.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings
Using an iterative and cyclical research process, the subject area was defined broadly, followed by immersion in empirical research. The theoretical work was then carried out, narrowing the research focus and question, before returning to empirical research and so on. Accordingly, this presentation should not be viewed solely as a theoretical or empirical work, but rather as the outcome of an abductive approach. This approach requires a creative and divergent analysis of empirical data and theories (Roth 2015, pp. 166-168). The process involves critical reflection to avoid bias and subjectivity. The focus was on empirical evidence, theories, and interpretative discussions, in order to establish a clear position within the terrain of hegemonic patterns of meaning and explanation.
As previously stated, the notion of critique, specifically ideology critique, has become more prominent in research. It serves as the typology that organizes and structures the three reconstructed types of production practices that reflect group-internal consensuses of inclusion. These types are referred to as inclusion as generalizing, inclusion as discursivity, and inclusion as being the other. The presentation will focus on the typology that combines critical discussion of ideologies with a focus on the third type, which highlights global issues such as languages, migration, pandemics and being the other.
References
Calloni, Marina (2005): Paradoxes of democracy: the dialectic of inclusion and exclusion. In: Jørgen Goul Andersen, Anne-Marie Guillemard, Per H. Jensen und Birgit Pfau-Effinger (pub.): The changing face of welfare: Policy Press, S. 93–112.
Boger, Mai-Anh; Bühler, Patrick; Vogt, Michaela (pub.) (2021): Inklusion als Chiffre? Bildungshistorische Analysen und Reflexionen. Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt (Historische Bildungsforschung).
Boger, Mai-Anh (2017): Theorien der Inklusion – eine Übersicht. In: bidok Deutschland e.V. Zeitschrift für Inklusion. Frankfurt am Main. Online: https:// www.inklusion-online.net/index.php/inklusion-online/article/view/413 [Last downloaded on 10.01.2024].
Gramsci, Antonio; Bochmann, Klaus (pub.) (2012): Gefängnishefte. 1. Aufl. Hamburg: Argument Verl.
Heeren, John (1971): Karl Mannheim and the Intellectual Elite. In: The British Journal of Sociology 22 (1), S. 1.
Jantzen, Wolfgang (2019): Behindertenpädagogik als synthetische Humanwissenschaft. Sozialwissenschaftliche und methodologische Erkundungen. Gießen: Psychosozial-Verlag (Dialektik der Be-Hinderung).
Jaeggi, Rahel (2019): Was ist Ideologiekritik. In: Rahel Jaeggi und Tilo Wesche (pub.): Was ist Kritik? 5. Aufl. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp (Suhrkamp-Taschenbuch Wissenschaft, 1885), S. 266–298.
Koller, Hans-Christoph (2018): Bildung anders denken. Einführung in die Theorie transforma-torischer Bildungsprozesse. 2., aktualisierte Auflage. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer Verlag.
Lanwer, Willehad (2015): Exklusion und Inklusion. Anmerkungen zu einer gegensätzlichen Einheit. In: Jahrbuch für Pädagogik 2015 (1), S. 159–173.
Mannheim, Karl ([1926] 1964): Ideologische und soziologische Interpretationen der geistigen Gebilde (1926). In: Karl Mannheim: Wissenssoziologie. Auswahl aus dem Werk. In: Heinz Maus und Friedrich Fürstenberg. Berlin: Luchterhand (Soziologische Texte, 28), S. 388–407.
Mannheim, Karl (1929): Ideologie und Utopie. (Schriften zur Philosophie und Soziologie, 3). Bonn: Cohen. Online: https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/50776, last downloaded on 05.06.2020.
Moser, Vera; Bauer, Lena (pub.) (2018): Behindertenpädagogik als Synthetische Humanwissenschaft. Eine Einführung in das Werk Wolfgang Jantzens. Verlag Julius Klinkhardt. Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt.
Moser, Vera; Egger, Marina (pub.) (2017): Inklusion und Schulentwicklung. Konzepte, Instrumente, Befunde. 1. Auflage. Stuttgart: Verlag W. Kohlhammer.
Rehmann, Jan (2020): Ernst Bloch as a Philosopher of Praxis. In: Praktyka Teoretyczna, 2020-03, Vol.35 (1).
Roth, Wolff-Michael (2015): Rigorous Data Analysis. A Beyond ""Anything Goes"". Leiden, Boston: Brill.
Wocken, Hans (pub.); Cowlan, Gabriele; Hinz, Andreas; Kron, Maria; Papke, Birgit; Reiser, Helmut (2021): Dialektik der Inklusion. Inklusion als Balance. 1. Auflage. Ed. v. Hans Wocken. Hamburg: Feldhaus Edition Hamburger Buchwerkstatt (Lebenswelten und Behinderung, Band 24).
Paper
Ethics of Care: A Theoretical Underpinning for Relational Inclusivity
1UC San Diego, Cyprus; 2University of Lleida, Spain
Presenting Author:In this conceptual paper, we argue that the Ethics of Care (EoC) is a compelling theoretical framework that could serve as a powerful underpinning for fostering Relational Inclusivity (RI), shaping educational environments that prioritize empathy, mutual support, and a genuine concern for the well-being of all individual students involved.
The EoC has been defined as a philosophical framework that shifts contemporary moral and ethical narratives around the concept of care (Gilligan, 1982). EoC asserts that humans depend on each other for positive liberty, highlighting our inherent interdependence. Dependency, viewed negatively in modern societies, is resized as an inherent aspect of being alive. Rather than viewing humans as independent individuals, EoC sees them as relational entities shaped by each one's networks of care, whether they involve living beings or structural conditions (Camps, 2021).
From this standpoint, care becomes central and is defined as a proactive activity encompassing everything we do to sustain, continue, and repair our "world" – our bodies, identities, and environment – to sustain life optimally (Tronto, 1993). Care becomes a transformative element in relationships, shaping how we perceive the world and understand our commitment and responsibility to others.
In EoC relationships take center stage, and caring emerges as the preferred way to relate to each other. A robust caring network, encompassing relationships and structural conditions, becomes crucial for navigating dependencies and ensuring well-being. Consequently, care becomes a fundamental principle that should guide education, emphasizing the importance of fostering supportive and empathetic caring networks (Vázquez-Verdera, 2009).
In the context of education, the EoC challenges the traditional rational decision-making approach based on rules and laws, and proposes a subjective and particular decision-making perspective that encompasses the specific affective relationship and the unique situation of the person. In the former, rights and responsibilities are defined by others; in the latter, it is a matter of taking responsibility for oneself in the relationship with others. It involves changing the view of "something has to be done" to "I have to do something" (Busquets-Surribas, 2019; Vázquez-Verdera, 2009).
Relational inclusivity (RI), within the context of the EoC, refers to the idea that education should extend beyond individual student-centered purposes to encompass the quality of relationships and the interconnectedness of students within a community or society (Mamas et al., 2024; Mamas & Trautman, 2023). Therefore, RI, as informed by the EoC, transcends the mere acknowledgment of diversity. It goes beyond surface-level inclusivity efforts and delves into the cultivation of meaningful connections and relationships of care within the educational community. This involves acknowledging, recognizing and valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of students, educators and stakeholders, nurturing positive and supportive connections while actively working to create an environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and understood.
RI involves both "caring for," which is a direct and personal response based on the caregiver's relationship, and "caring about," a more indirect response related to broader and abstract concepts or distant situations. The EoC education framework emphasizes both but prioritizes "caring for" over "caring about", recognizing the centrality of subjective experiences and moving away from purely theoretical perspectives (Noddings, 2001). RI extends beyond the traditional EoC focus on the teacher-student relationship, particularly influenced by Nel Noddings. Instead, RI innovatively promotes primarily fostering "caring for" dynamics among peers.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used
The theoretical underpinning for RI in the EoC is grounded in several key principles (Vázquez-Verdera, 2009):
Interdependence: Emphasizes the importance of mutual care and support within relationships from a positive liberty and social network perspective.
Empathy and Responsiveness: Education must enhance people's sensibility to the necessities of others by listening and giving agency to diverse voices, acknowledging different experiences, and responding empathetically to the needs of all students.
Contextual Understanding: RI and EoC shift decision-making to a subjective and particular approach, acknowledging the significance of context in education and considering cultural, social, and personal contexts when designing and applying pedagogical strategies
Attentiveness to Power Dynamics and Recognition of Marginalized Voices: RI and EoC involve actively working to address and rectify imbalances, promoting the recognition and inclusion of marginalized voices and perspectives to foster an equitable education.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings
In summary, this paper argues that EoC provides a theoretical underpinning for RI. This approach challenges traditional ethical theories by placing care and relationships at the forefront of a transformative education. Educators are encouraged to develop a heightened awareness of the emotional and relational aspects of learning and their teaching practices (Noddings, 2001). This may involve creating space for open communication, actively listening to students' concerns, and demonstrating a genuine commitment to their caring networks. Additionally, educators are prompted to recognize and challenge systemic inequities that may exist within educational institutions, advocating for policies and practices that promote equity and justice. By fostering a sense of shared responsibility and interdependence, the EoC contributes to the creation of an inclusive educational community where each member cares actively for others.
References
References:
Busquets, M. (2019). Discovering the importance of ethics of care. Folia humanística, 12.
Camps, M. (2021). Time for care: another way of being in the world. Barcelona: Arpa editores.
Gilligan, C. (1982) In a different voice: psychological theory and women's development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Mamas, C., Cohen, S.R., & Holtzman, C. (2024). Relational Inclusivity in the Elementary Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Supporting Student Friendships and Building Nurturing Communities (1st ed.). Routledge.
Mamas, C. & Trautman, D. (2023). Leading Towards Relational Inclusivity for Students Identified as Having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. In Daly, A.J., Liou, Y.H. (Eds.), The Relational Leader: Catalyzing Social Networks for Educational Change. Bloomsbury.
Noddings, N.. (2001) Care and coercion in school reform. Journal of Educational Change 2, 35-43.
Tronto, J. (1993). Moral boundaries. A political argument of and Ethic of Care. London: Routledge.
Vázquez-Verdera, V. (2009). Education and the ethics of care in the thought of Nel Noddings. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Valencia].