phenomenology and existential philosophy

SIG Chair:

Christina Donaldson, University of North Texas

Purpose of the SIG:

The Phenomenology and Existentialism SIG at the Philosophy of Education Society consists of a group of scholars interested in the application of phenomenological and/or existentialist thought to the field of educational research. The SIG has worked collaboratively on a range of topics pertaining to themes closely associated with these movements in philosophy (e.g. temporality, consciousness, perception, selfhood, embodiment) and their relationship to education. It also aims to explore research methodologies that are faithful to these rich and diverse philosophical traditions, for instance:

• Demonstrating the concrete realities of educational experiences in phenomenological or existentially-sensitive ways  
• Making sense of and showcasing the temporality of educational endeavors, or what it might mean to experience education in the present 
• Understanding and enacting the embodied dimensions of everyday educational practices such as lecturing, note taking, pointing, underlying texts, and so forth 
• Gesturing towards the nature of selfhood as it undergoes educational development, growth, transformation 
• Speculating on and experimenting with non-human actors within educational situations  
• Exploring how structures of constraint (such as patriarchy, racism, sexism, classism, etc.) are lived by students and teachers 

The SIG serves to collaborate on and disseminate the work of scholars interested in these and related ideas through our highly international networks in philosophy of education.

Current Initiatives: