Transformative Adult Learning: Turn towards a «Holistic Understanding of Subjectivity»
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2017-20-1-97-127Keywords:
theory of transformative adult learning, Jack Mezirow, critical reflection, frame of references,, rational-cognitive approach, Holistic Understanding of Subjectivity, holism, enactivism, embodied cognition approach, affective framingAbstract
According to the challenges of globalization age and demands of international community to determine the role and content of education in the processes of transformation, internationalization and integration, there are some problems of transformative education for adults both on theoretical and practical plane: what is a nature of "Holistic Subjectivity’s" transformation; which role do rational and extra-rational components of cognitive processes perform; what adequate pedagogical practices should be; what creative potential of individuals is revealed through new semantic horizons.
In the process of intersubjective becoming, the theory of transformative learning, founded by Jack Mezirow, has found both its internal and external development potential. The first one is ability of the Theory to self-transformation on the basis of scientific communication, critical reflection and rational discourse. The second one is related to openness and inclusiveness of the Theory in pluralistic space of methodologies of the transdisciplinary science. The combination of internal and external development factors has created the conditions for implementation of a methodological turn-shifting emphasis from rational-cognitive paradigm to enactivism as a concept that is based on the principles of holism, corporeality, affectivity, emotionality of cognitive processes and their self-organization as complex dynamic systems. This allowed us to look at the person's transformation as a corporeal and affective reframing and make a conclusion about his important role in the transformative adult learning.
In the context of the given methodological turn, the main task is to mobilize researchers’ attention to the nature and role of all extra-rational components of transformative learning. It is the enactivist approach, including theory of self-organization of complex dynamical systems, which can help us clarify the role of feelings and dynamics of a holistic living body in the person's transformation.
References
Beskova I.A., Knyazeva H.N., Beskova, D.A. Nature and images of corporeality. M.: Progress-Traditsiya [In Russian].
Gomilko O. (2001). Metaphysics of corporeality. K.: Naukova dumka [In Ukrainian].
Gorbunova L. (2013). Theory of Trasformative Learning: Adult Education in the Context of «Liquid Modernity». Filosofiya osvity. Philosophy of Education, 2 (13), 66-114 [In Ukrainian].
URL: www.philosopheducation.com
Gorbunova L. (2015). Philosophy of Transformative Adult Education: University Strategies and Practices: Monograph. Sumy: Universytetsʹka knyha [In Ukrainian].
URL: http://ihed.org.ua/ua/rekomend-dzerela-r.html
Gorbunova L. (2016). Key Competencies in Transnational Educational Space: the Definition and Implementation. Filosofiya osvity. Philosophy of Education, 2 (19), 97-117 [In Ukrainian].
URL: www.philosopheducation.com
Knyazeva, H. (2014). Enactivism: a new form of constructivism in epistemology. M.; SPb.: Center for Humanitarian Initiatives; University book [In Russian].
Yung, K.G. (2003). Memories, dreams, reflections. Mn.: «Kharvest» [In Russian].
URL: lib.ru/PSIHO/JUNG/memdreamrefs.txt
Bartky, S. (1996). Sympathy and solidarity: On a tightrope with Scheler. In: Feminists rethink the self, ed. D. Meyers, 177–196. Boulder: Westview Press.
URL: https://westviewpress.com/books/feminists-rethink-the-self/
Baumgartner, L. (2001). An update on transformational learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education 89, 15–24. URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ace.4
Clark, M., and Wilson, A. (1991). Context and rationality in Mezirow’s theory of transformational learning. Adult Education Quarterly 41(2), 75–91. URL:http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0001848191041002002
Clark, M. C., & Dirkx, J. M. (1999). Moving beyond a unitary self: A reflective dialogue. In: A. L. Wilson & E. R. Hayes (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education (New ed., 101-116). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. URL:https://www.google.com.ua/search?q=11.+Clark%2C+M.+C.%2C+%26+Dirkx%2C+J.+M.
Colombetti, G. (2014). The feeling body: Affective science meets the enactive mind. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. URL: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/feeling-body
Cranton, P., & Roy, M. (2003). When the bottom falls out of the bucket: Toward a holistic perspective on transformative learning. Journal of Transformative Education, 1(2), 6-98.
URL:http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1541344603001002002
Dirkx, J. (1997). Nurturing soul in adult learning. In: P.Cranton (Ed.), Transformative learning in action: Insights from practice, 79-88. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
URL:https://msu.edu/~dirkx/Nurturing%20soul.pdf
Dirkx, J.M. (1998). Tranformative learning theory in the practice of adult education: An overview. PAACE Journal of Lifelong Learning, 7, 1-14. URL:http://www.iup.edu/ace/paace/v7-1998/
Dirkx, J. (2001). The power of feelings: Emotion, imagination, and the construction of meaning in adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 89, 63–72.
URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ace.9/abstract
Dirkx J., Mezirow J., Cranton P. (2006). Musings and Reflections on the Meaning, Context, and Process of Transformative Learning: A Dialogue Between John M. Dirkx and Jack Mezirow. Facilitated by Patricia Cranton. Journal of Transformative Education, 4 (2), 123-139. URL:http://jtd.sagepub.com/content/4/2/123
Froese, T., and Di Paolo, E. (2011). The enactive approach: Theoretical sketches from cell to society. Pragmatics and Cognition,19(1), 1–36.
URL: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.224.5504&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Haslanger, S. (2007). ‘‘But Mom: Crop-tops Are Cute!’’ social knowledge, social structure, and ideology critique. Philosophical Issues, 17, 70–91.
URL: http://www.mit.edu/~shaslang/papers/HaslangerBMCTAC.pdf
Haslanger, S. (2015). Racial ideology, racist practices, and social critique. Paper presented at the Workshop on Gender and Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
URL: http://sallyhaslanger.weebly.com/uploads/1/8/2/7/18272031/haslangerrirpsc-feb2015.pdf
Hill, L. (2001). The brain and consciousness: Sources of information for understanding adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 89, 73–81.
Hutto, D. (2011). Philosophy of mind’s new lease on life: Autopoietic enactivism meets teleosemantics. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 18 (5–6), 44–64.
Kegan, R. (2009). What ‘‘Form’’ transforms: A constructive-developmental perspective on transformational learning. In: Knud Illeris (ed.), Contemporary Theories of Learning: Learning Theorists In Their Own Words. Routledge. URL:https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1085/b8aaeee9d65dccbe930dca5fe6034bbaeb4d.pdf
Kiverstein, J., and Clark, A. (2009). Introduction: Mind embodied, embedded, enacted: one church or many? Topoi, 28, 1–7.
Janik, D. (2007). What every language teacher should know about the brain and how it affects teaching. Paper presented at Wikipedia 2007 Conference on Foreign Language Pedagogy, University of Helsinki, Finland. URL: http://www.helsinki.fi/~tella/290.pdf
Maiese, M. (2015). Transformative Learning, Enactivism, and Affectivity. Studies in Philosophy and Education. An International Journal, Vol. 34, No 6, November. URL:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287806906_Transformative_Learning_Enactivism_and_Affectivity
Mezirow, J. (1990). How critical reflection triggers transformative learning. In: Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to transformative and emancipator learning, eds. J. Mezirow, et al., 1–20. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
URL:http://www.ln.edu.hk/osl/conference2011/output/breakout/4.4%20[ref]How%20Critical%20Reflection%20triggers%20Transformative%20Learning%20-%20Mezirow.pdf
Mezirow, J. (1996). Contemporary paradigms of learning. Adult Education Quarterly,46(3), 158–172. URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/074171369604600303
Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 74, 5–12.
URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ace.7401/pdf
Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. URL:https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=8tdifLZnFqAC&dq=Mezirow,+J.+2000.Learning+as+transformation
Mezirow, J. (2006). An overview of transformative learning. In: P. Sutherland & J. Crowther (Eds.), Lifelong learning: Concepts and contexts, 24-38. New York: Routledge.
URL:https://yasamboyuogrenme.wikispaces.com/file/view/__Lifelong_Learning__Concepts_and_Contexts.pdf
Mezirow, J. (2009). Overview of transformative learning theory. In: Contemporary theories of learning: Learning theorists…in their Own words, ed. K. Illeris, 90–105. New York: Routledge
URL: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1085/b8aaeee9d65dccbe930dca5fe6034bbaeb4d.pdf
Mezirow, J. (Ed.), Taylor E.W.(Ed.) and Associates. (2009). Transformative Learning in Practice: Insights from Community, Workplace, and Higher Education. October, Jossey-Bass. URL: https://www.google.com.ua/search?q=33.+Mezirow%2C+J.+(Ed.)%2C+Taylor+E.W.(Ed.)+and+Associates.+(2009).
O’Sullivan, E., Morrell, A. and O’Connor, M. (eds.). (2002). Expanding the boundaries of transformative learning: Essays on theory and praxis. New York: Palgrave Press.
Pedwell, C. (2012). Affective (self-) transformations: Empathy, neoliberalism, and international development. Feminist Theory,13(2), 163–179.
Ratcliffe, M. (2005). William James on emotion and intentionality. International Journal of Philosophical Studies,13(2), 179–202.
URL: http://biophilosophy.ca/Teaching/6200materials/Ratcliffe-intentionality.pdf
Ratcliffe, M. (2008). Feelings of being: Phenomenology, psychiatry, and the sense of reality. New York: Oxford University Press.
URL: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/feelings-of-being-9780199206469?cc=ua&lang=en&
Shapiro, L. (2011). Embodied cognition. New York: Routledge.
URL: http://psychsciencenotes.blogspot.com/2012/07/embodied-cognition-by-lawrence-shapiro.html
Sheets-Johnstone, M. (2011). The corporeal turn. Journal of Consciousness Studies,18(7–8), 145–168. URL: https://philpapers.org/rec/SHETCT-3
Slaby, J. (2008). Affective intentionality and the feeling body. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences,7, 429–444.
URL: http://janslaby.com/downloads/slaby2008_affectiveint_feelingbody.pdf
Taylor, E.W. (1997). Building upon the theoretical debate: A critical review of the empirical studies of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory. Adult Education Quarterly,48, 32–57.
URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/074171369704800104
Taylor, E.W. (2000). Analyzing research on transformative learning theory. In: Learning as transformation, eds. J. Mezirow, et al., 285–328. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Taylor, E. (2008). Transformative learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 119, 5–15. URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ace.301/full
Thompson E. (2004). Life and Mind: From Autopoiesis to Neurophenomenology: A Tribute to Francisco Varela. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, Vol. 3, 381–398.
URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B%3APHEN.0000048936.73339.dd
Thompson, E. (2007). Mind in life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of the Mind. Cambridge MA: Belknap Press.
URL: https://ru.scribd.com/document/112938125/0262014602
Thompson, E., and Stapleton, M. (2009). Making sense of sense-making: Reflections on enactive and extended mind theories.Topoi, 28, 23–30.
URL: https://evanthompsondotme.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/making-sense-of-sense-making.pdf
Transformative Learning Centre. (2004). Retrieved July 27 from Transformative Learning Centre Web site. URL: http://tlc.oise.utoronto.ca/index.htm
Weber, A., and Varela, F. (2002). Life After Kant: Natural purposes and the autopoietic foundations of biological individuality. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences,1, 97–125.
URL: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.342.9756&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Yorks, L., and Kasl, E. (2002). Toward a theory and practice for whole-person learning: Reconceptualizing experience and the role of affect. Adult Education Quarterly,52(3), 176–192.
URL: http://www.uwyo.edu/aded5050/5050unit9/toward_a.pdf
Yorks, L., and Kasl, E. (2006). I know more than i can say: A Taxonomy for using expressive ways of knowing to foster transformative learning. Journal of Transformative Education,4(1), 43–64. URL:http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1541344605283151
Downloads
-
PDF (Українська)
Downloads: 537
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
- Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication;
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
