ESREA - European Society for Research on the Education of Adults - Wisdom and knowledge in researching and learning lives: diversity, difference and commonalities

Steve Rubin's picture
Submitted by Steve Rubin on July 13, 2008 - 16:14
Mar 12 2009 00:00
Mar 15 2009 00:00
Etc/GMT-1

Milano, Italy

Biography, memory, narrative and knowledge are very crucial issues in the field of education, in the study and experiences of lifewide and lifelong learning, and in adult life as a whole. They are studied as objects, processes or focuses, that enable us to understand the way people learn, the choices they make (including how these may be structured), the role and nature of story, and how they make sense of and compose meaning in their lives (as well as our own). They are the main focus of our research. Auto/biographic and life history approaches are the common ground for the ESREA network on Life History and Biographical Research.
 
However, recent Conferences in the Network have involved debates about the meaning of auto/biographical and life history research, its knowledge base, and around the different ways of researching and interpreting lives, across Europe. This has inspired the idea, for the 2009 Conference, of a wide-ranging theme, to encourage a deep discussion among participants of their methodological, epistemological, political and philosophical premises in researching lives and learning. This includes the nature of the knowledge, which informs our work, and the knowledge –informal, tacit, hermeneutic, emotional, biographical, as well as more formal – that people use in learning and living, in educational contexts and in their lives as a whole. The debate about knowledge has also found expression in how research and the researcher are positioned: as more objective and scientific, perhaps, or as more intersubjective and hermeneutic.  
 
The multicultural, multi-disciplinary identity of ESREA is to be celebrated but it also requires mutual understanding, dialogue and learning from each other. Difference and diversity, alongside commonalities, create opportunities for highly reflexive attitudes towards our research, and richer discussions of epistemological and methodological issues. This can include the recovery of wisdom as a constitutive dimension of learning, living, education and research.
  • What is the impact of auto/biographical, biographical and life history research in the field of lifelong learning, education, in the lives of subjects, and in the researcher’s relationship to (his/her) knowledge?
  • How do the different “Life history and auto/biographical research” approaches and cultures address the theme of knowledge? How many “models of knowledge” are developing within this field, on geographical, linguistic, cultural, as well as disciplinary and interdisciplinary bases?
  • What is the place of informal and tacit knowledge in learning lives and in doing research?
  • What is the place of wisdom in our scientific community, in learning lives and in research?
The ESREA Life History and Biographical Research Network Conference will explore these themes in Milano, Italy, from Thursday the 12th of March (afternoon) to Sunday the 15th of March 2009 (morning).
 
Abstracts and proposals are called for, to be submitted by 17th December 2008: on one side of A4 only, with names, affiliations and contact details on a separate sheet. Please mail to : [email protected]
 
Please note that ESREA will be offering 2 bursaries (250 € each) for doctorate students.
 
Organizers:
  • Laura Formenti, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Milano, Italy
  • Linden West, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK (convenor of the Network).
Scientific Committee:
Linden West, Laura Formenti, Peter Alheit, Agnieszka Bron, Ewa Kurantowa, Barbara Merrill, José Gonzalez Monteagudo, Kirsten Larsen, Michael Svendsen, Jean-Michel Baudoin, Marie Christine Josso, Duccio Demetrio, Sergio Tramma, Maura Striano, Bruno Schettini, Luigina Mortari, Loretta Fabbri
 
Partners:
  • ESREA
  • Centro Studi Adultità Ettore Gelpi
  • Società Umanitaria, Milano
  • Rivista Adultità
  • Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Dipartimento di Scienze Umane per la Formazione “Riccardo Massa”
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Umane e dell'Educazione, Università degli Studi di Siena
 
Organizing Committee:
  • Dante Bellamio, Stefania Freddo (Centro Studi Adultità Ettore Gelpi)
  • Alessia Vitale, Jennifer Coe
 
Place: Società Umanitaria, via Daverio, 7, Milano
 
Languages: English (obligatory for the abstract), French, Italian.
 
For French and Italian speaking colleagues: it is good to bring an English version or summary of the paper. During the conference, no professional translation is foreseen, but many colleagues are willing to help and facilitate dialogue.
 
 
For further information, please contact:   [email protected]
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