Middle Tennessee State University: Journals@MTSU
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The Creature from the British Isles: The Historical and Contemporary Importance of Thomas Hobbes’s Political Philosophy
Get PDFPolitical philosophy is of central importance to much of the goings-on of a nation. Even though he is commonly addressed in those works at the forefront of political theory, one man often stands on the outside: Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes is often cited as too pessimistic or too intent on the necessity of authoritarianism. Although neither point is untrue, his work encompasses much more than these two characteristics, often having far more significance than many political theorists are willing to admit. This paper gives an account of Hobbes’s historical importance and the reactions that he evoked, specifically in the work of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, before progressing into an examination of his contemporary importance by using his work as a lens through which to analyze the Trump and Biden administrations’ respective responses to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Hobbes believed that one of humanity’s driving factors is fear and, with the current political and social situations being created by the pandemic, his fear-based political philosophy has become strikingly significant and prescient once again, which may point to a resurging importance of security—even of the authoritarian kind—in place of freedom when the world is faced with an uncertain future
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH WITH INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Get PDFOver the last decade, pedagogies have shifted toward high impact practices, asking students at US universities to engage in undergraduate research, for example. At the same time, the enrollment of international students, especially in the business and economics disciplines, has increased substantially until 2019. This study focuses on student performance and the pedagogical strategies of teaching a required undergraduate economics research capstone course with a majority of international students from China and South Korea. Differences between the pedagogical practices of the home and host countries are highlighted with reference to Confucian Heritage Learners. Ten years of performance data from the capstone course reveal that international students are more likely to successfully complete their undergraduate research experience than domestic students but earn lower grades in the process. This corroborates the hypothesis that Confucian Heritage Learners may struggle with undergraduate research requirements at US universities. A number of strategies are discussed that were implemented to help international students complete their capstone experience course. International students received focused help with ideation, application of the scientific method, language preparation and plagiarism, as well as cultural knowledge
Mothers, Daughters, and Vampires: The Female Sexual Dilemma in Eighteenth-Century Vampire Poetry
Get PDFEarly vampiric poetry often included two female characters: a mother and a daughter. Despite the prevalence of the inclusion of a mother within these poems, scholarship on the literary vampire fails to give that inclusion proper attention. This paper examines how the mother’s relationship with her daughter in these poems connects the liminal space of the vampire with a woman’s involuntary position in a restrictive place between unrestrained sexual desire and the restrained social codes and conventions of eighteenth-century society, exposing the powerless position women are in when it comes to their identity construction in relation to sexuality. Theinteractions between the mother, daughter, and vampire in “Der Vampir” (by Heinrich August Ossenfelder) and “The Bride of Corinth” (by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) highlight how female sexuality is chosen either by a mother for her daughter or by a vampire or vampiric nature. Exploring these poems encourages a conversation about the construction of female sexuality and the forces that exert influence over that development
Discussion-Based Pedagogy to Promote Socio-emotional Learning and Well-Being Among Students in a Japan
Get PDFThe Japanese educational system is highly competitive and applies high stakes standardized admission testing. As this approach has led to student stress and a narrow instructional focus, the Japanese Government revised educational goals toward more holistic development of well-rounded citizens who are healthy, independent, creative, and work collaboratively with others. However, many teachers did not know how to promote these new goals. This study investigated Japanese educators’ application of Philosophy for Children, a discussion-based inquiry approach that has been used to promote socioemotional learning and well-being. Methods included email communications with 29 educators, analysis of Japanese language documents related to the approach in Japan, and observations of meetings of educators who used the method. Educators applied the approach to elementary, secondary, and university settings. The approach was used to promote socioemotional learning and critical thinking among Japanese children. Some have used the approach to facilitate children\u27s healing after the Tohoku earthquake and other trauma. Facilitators applied the approach outside of the classroom in public settings like train stations to promote everyday citizens’ expression and understanding. The results suggest that Philosophy for Children has the potential to promote holistic goals for children and adults
IJWC Updates
No full textThank you for your continued support of the International Journal of the Whole Child and our commitment to holistic learning and to the development of the whole child. To improve the efficiency of the journal, we have updated our submission and publication dates. The submission deadline for Spring 2023 is February 28th. The submission deadline for the Fall 2023 will be September 30th. The Spring issue will be published in May and the Fall issue will be published in December. Thank you again for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you in Spring 2023
Being and Emptiness: Sartre meets Santideva
Get PDFJean-Paul Sartre was a mid-twentieth century French intellectual known for his radical politics and prolific (often opaque) philosophical musings on the human condition. At first blush, this Parisian existentialist might not seem to have a lot in common with a recondite eighth-century Madhyamaka monk named Santideva. My essay encourages a second or third blush. In it, I bridge the work of Sartre with the Buddhist philosopher Santideva by looking at their respective conceptions of freedom and moral responsibility. I provide a brief characterization of each thinker’s ideas while going over some basic terrain of the modern free will debate, which includes essential definitions for terms such as “free will,” “determinism,” “libertarianism,” and “compatibilism.” I argue that Sartre and Santideva have a unique approach to freedom and moral responsibility that, on the one hand, fails to conform to the standard categories of the current academic free will debate and, on the other hand, moves the conversation forward in important ways.
(Production editor note: Some accented characters were replaced with plain text in order to publish this title and abstract digitally. For full/correct accented characters, please see the PDF version)
Using Children’s Literature as a Model for Problem-Based Learning
Get PDFProblem-Based Learning (or PBL) is a teaching style that pairs beautifully with science and social studies. PBL allows students to drive their learning, providing autonomy to choose topics or issues that interest them. It scaffolds the development of desirable 21st century skills: collaboration, critical thinking, communication, creativity, flexibility, and higher levels of cognitive thinking. Using a specific approach to PBL can assist teachers and students in understanding the process and knowing where their work is taking them. This article will share using the children’s book Spring after Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement by Stephanie Roth Sisson (2018) and Design Thinking as a guide for implementing Problem-Based Learning with your elementary level learners
Holistic Identity Development in STEAM
Get PDFHolistic STEAM programs can benefit children by allowing them to develop an intersecting identity in STEAM disciplines, explore real-world issues more broadly, think critically and innovatively, solve problems using integrated approaches, and have confidence across multiple fields of study. Much of the current research situates identity development in single subjects such as science, math, or engineering. However, a broader conceptualization of identity in STEAM can influence the creation or progression of STEAM curriculum, environments, and programs to support the unique, organic construction of a child’s identity development across multipledisciplines. Suggestions for creating optimal conditions for holistic STEAM identity development include using an interactionist approach, developing meaningfully integrated and relevant real-world explorations, utilizing inquiry, interest, and play, and using a flexible curriculum that allows for divergence and creativity
Page Turners: Books for Children
Get PDFIn the graphic novel world, Maus, by Art Spiegelman, is considered one of the most influential graphic novels. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Maus helped the format to gain legitimacy as a format worthy of teaching and reading. Maus speaks to and literally illustrates the horrors of the Holocaust in graphic form making the fear, guilt, and relief experienced, by Vladek Spiegelman (and all Survivors) tangible to the reader. The work also explores the long-term trauma experienced by children of survivors, something not many Holocaust stories address. Maus tells the story from a Jewish perspective which is sometimes overlooked in favor of Holocaust stories which prioritize the heroics of Gentiles over the horror of the victims. As the world loses survivors, works like Maus become even more important. Their stories cannot be forgotten. Maus honors these stories and should be a must read in every American classroom. Ages 12+. (CKM
STEAM Education and the Whole Child: Examining Policy and Barriers
Get PDFWhole Child education nurtures five tenets of the child to ensure they are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged during their time at school. STEAM programs coincide with the Whole Child approach as it allows them to expand their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, build their social-emotional needs, and be prepared for the 21st century workforce. STEAM programs are designed to emphasize inquiry and an interdisciplinary approach that reflects the tenets of the Whole Child paradigm. Much of the research that has been done in STEAM and Whole Child education pushes for further implementation of high-quality programs in schools so students can learn in a way that best fits their needs. However, there are many barriers and funding issues that preclude schools from the full implementation of high-quality, Whole Child STEAM programs that foster equity and accessibility especially for marginalized populations. These barriers and suggestions for overcoming them are discussed through a policy lens so curriculum can be flexible and more interdisciplinary and so that students have multiple opportunities to be nurtured in their creativity