Research for Children: An Ethics of Care in Action

Location

3030

Format Type

Paper

Format Type

Paper

Start Date

13-1-2017 10:30 AM

End Date

13-1-2017 11:50 AM

Abstract

Our proposal starts from a theoretical view of care (Mortari 2014; Noddings, 1984), defined as a practice (not only a feeling or an idea) dealing with something that is essential for others: for preserving and protecting life (in Greek merimna), for healing wounds (therapeia) or, in an educative sense (see Socrates), for helping others to become what they really are (epimeleia). This philosophical view founds an ethics of care, intended as a practice of relationship: an instance of being-for-the-other (Schwandt, 2000) characterized by virtues (Pring, 2000). We argue that research should be grounded in an ethical perspective (Bishop, 1998; Smith, 1999; Christians, 2005). We developed a research approach with children, named “Research for Children” (Mortari eds., 2009); it is an approach founded on a strong ethical view. The presentation aims to describe the main ethical aspects of this approach developed from a philosophy of care perspective. Naturalistic inquiry (Guba and Lincoln, 1995) considers the researcher as the main research instrument; in our approach, the researcher has an ethical stance, characterized by: respect: e.g. regarding words from children as a gift, building a method of inquiry that respects their point of view; courage: e.g. giving children the possibility to be free in their thoughts, even if different from adults’ expectations; and generosity: e.g. inventing activities not only useful for collecting data, but also, as a gift for children. The presentation will describe this ethical stance in our practical research work with children.

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Jan 13th, 10:30 AM Jan 13th, 11:50 AM

Research for Children: An Ethics of Care in Action

3030

Our proposal starts from a theoretical view of care (Mortari 2014; Noddings, 1984), defined as a practice (not only a feeling or an idea) dealing with something that is essential for others: for preserving and protecting life (in Greek merimna), for healing wounds (therapeia) or, in an educative sense (see Socrates), for helping others to become what they really are (epimeleia). This philosophical view founds an ethics of care, intended as a practice of relationship: an instance of being-for-the-other (Schwandt, 2000) characterized by virtues (Pring, 2000). We argue that research should be grounded in an ethical perspective (Bishop, 1998; Smith, 1999; Christians, 2005). We developed a research approach with children, named “Research for Children” (Mortari eds., 2009); it is an approach founded on a strong ethical view. The presentation aims to describe the main ethical aspects of this approach developed from a philosophy of care perspective. Naturalistic inquiry (Guba and Lincoln, 1995) considers the researcher as the main research instrument; in our approach, the researcher has an ethical stance, characterized by: respect: e.g. regarding words from children as a gift, building a method of inquiry that respects their point of view; courage: e.g. giving children the possibility to be free in their thoughts, even if different from adults’ expectations; and generosity: e.g. inventing activities not only useful for collecting data, but also, as a gift for children. The presentation will describe this ethical stance in our practical research work with children.