TITLE:
The Healing Power of Dialogos Dialogues: Transformative Learning through Dialogical Philosophizing
AUTHORS:
Guro Hansen Helskog
KEYWORDS:
Psychological Healing, Transformative Learning, Philosophical Dialogue, Intercultural Education, Interreligious Dialogue
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.2 No.11,
November
24,
2014
ABSTRACT:
To what extent might Dialogos philosophical
dialogues conducted over time have therapeutical or healing effect? This is the
question explored in this paper. Drawing on the model of Mezirow, transformative
learning theory is applied to excerpts of qualitative empirical material from
the Gandhi Project, an action research project aimed at trying out the Dialogos
approach to practical philosophy in intercultural and interfaith educational
contexts. Students claimed to have gained self- knowledge and knowledge of
others, and that they had enhanced their social courage as well as their
ability to cope with problems, personal or other, both in school and in general
life. In general, they reported that they had become more mature through the
project. The conclusion is that the approach is promising when transformative
learning and psychological healing is made an aim of education.