[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
RE: [xmca] Body expression as sign.
Dear Jack hi!
Nice to 'hear' you in this list. Long time ago at Bath...
Greetings from Greece..
Anna.
-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
Behalf Of Jack Whitehead
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 5:55 PM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] Body expression as sign.
On 25 May 2012, at 04:12, Larry Purss wrote:
> My question is: When we are exploring aesthetic REACTION or aesthetic
> RESPONSE to bodily *expression* [as a general term] are we
> *understanding* this bodily expression at the level of gesture,
> symbol, or sign expressions? Do the adjectives used to modify
> *expression* change the meaning of our understanding of expression as a
general term?
Dear Larry (Christine and all),
I'm grounding my exploration of aesthetic response to bodily *expression*
(as a general term) in relation to 'this' bodily expression where 'this'
refers to my bodily expressions in my educational relationships. I'm
thinking here of my bodily expressions in my practice as an educator. You
can see some of these bodily expressions in the 19seconds of the video clip
referred to on page 14 of the presentation on 'To Know Is Not Enough, Or Is
It?' in a Symposium at the 2012 AERA Conference, at
http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/jack/jwaera12noffke200212.pdf .
Through sharing meanings of bodily expressions in explanations of
educational influence, such as the explanations in the presentation, I think
that the adjectives I use, such as 'loving dynamic energy, in relation to my
bodily expressions do not change the meaning of my understanding of
expression as a general term. In exploring aesthetic responses to bodily
expression, with the help of digital visual narratives, I think that we
might be able to generate shared meanings of the energy flowing values that
can be used as explanatory principles in explanations of educational
influences in learning. (We might also be able to contribute to a logic of
question and answer, a logic that Gadamer believes that, despite Plato, we
are not yet ready for! )
My reason for included bodily expression as a lived/living experience is to
avoid the kind of colonisation that can take place through the imposition of
general concepts in explaining the life of an individual. I'm thinking here
of the 'colonising' mistake I experienced as a student of the philosophy of
education in the late 1960s when the practical principles I used to explain
my educational influence were to be 'replaced', by followers of the
disciplines approach to educational theory, by principles with more
'theoretical justification'. Here is the acknowledgement of the mistake, in
the view that much understanding of educational theory will be developed:
". in the context of immediate practical experience and will be
co-terminous with everyday understanding. In particular, many of its
operational principles, both explicit and implicit, will be of their nature
generalisations from practical experience and have as their justification
the results of individual activities and practices.
In many characterisations of educational theory, my own included,
principles justified in this way have until recently been regarded as at
best pragmatic maxims having a first crude and superficial justification in
practice that in any rationally developed theory would be replaced by
principles with more fundamental, theoretical justification. That now seems
to me to be a mistake. Rationally defensible practical principles, I
suggest, must of their nature stand up to such practical tests and without
that are necessarily inadequate." (p. 18)
Hirst, P. (Ed.) (1983) Educational Theory and its Foundation Disciplines.
London;RKP
Rod - I do understand your desire to reserve 'Love Rod' for people with whom
you have been able to develop a degree of attunement. I hope that my own
signature 'Love Jack' carries the desire to enhance the flow of loving
relationships that are resonating with such attunement, such at Martin
Dobson's 'Give my Love to the Department'.
Love Jack.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When Martin Dobson, a colleague, died in 2002 the last thing he said to me
was 'Give my Love to the Department'. In the 20 years I'd worked with Martin
it was his loving warmth of humanity that I recall with great life affirming
pleasure and I'm hoping that in Love Jack we can share this value of common
humanity.
Jack Whitehead , Professor, Liverpool Hope University, UK.
Visiting Fellow, University of Bath, UK.
Life-time member of OMNIBUS (All Bath University Staff).
web-site http://www.actionresearch.net with email address.
__________________________________________
_____
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
__________________________________________
_____
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca