Speakers
Description
Unesco’s revised definition of bullying as damaging social processes and unwanted interpersonal behaviour might be a step in the right direction. However, we see a serious lack in this definition that needs to be addressed. For example, focusing on unwanted interpersonal behaviour we will still reduce, alienate and victimise the children involved.
As we see it, bullying needs primarily to be understood as the absence of something wanted. We suggest shifting our focus from understanding bullying as the presence of damaging social processes and unwanted interpersonal behaviour, to an understanding of bullying as the absence of love-based and authentic actions and empathic equality. We address this as the practice of love, care, creativity, enhanced reflexivity and personal and communal conscientisation.
By help of Bhaskars philosophy of meta-reality, underlaboured by some of the care philosophers, we will show how we can build a new framework, understanding bullying on a deeper ontological level. This will include a love-based transformative didactic that has the potential to create a culture where bullying and related behaviours will not prevail. The framework also has the power to heal broken relationships when bullying and related behaviours occurs.
In the workshop we will use an experiential and dialogical based approach to explore together the significance of the new ontological understanding of bullying and anti-bullying, and a corresponding new practice that is both preventive and healing. We will work to enact the ethical responsibility we need to be an expression of when we work with children and young people.
Keywords
bullying as absence, love-based didactic
| Please also indicate what kind of contribution it is: | Scientific |
|---|---|
| Please indicate what type of scientific contribution it is | Mixed method study |
