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From Human–Nature to Cultureplace in Education Via an Exploration of Unity and Relation in the Work of Peirce and Dewey

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Abstract

In outdoor education discourse the notion of relation is often employed to convey basic connections between humanity and nature as human–nature relationships, yet the sense of relation itself is rarely questioned. Drawing on the work of Peirce and Dewey, I explore the ramifications of a more nuanced understanding of relation, specifically how relation works with and within differing senses of unity. These ramifications have consequences for how we understand human–nature relationships, which I argue are better conveyed in terms of culture–place. The various forms of unity described by Peirce inform more nuanced understandings of culture–place as cultureplace, with implications for the notion of transculturality. My specific concern with outdoor education then enables me to show how cultureplace and culture–place may be considered to have relevance pedagogically, especially in relation to dealing with cultural and environmental crises.

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Notes

  1. Outdoor education can be interpreted very broadly. For discussion of the historical development of this form of education, at least in the USA, see Quay and Seaman (2013).

  2. The importance of language, as logos, to this shift is made clear by Dewey when speaking of communication (1929, pp. 138–140).

  3. “Always already” is a Heideggerian (2010/1927, p. 169) expression aimed at conveying the temporal sense of the living present as unquestioned simplicity (Peirce’s first form of unity).

  4. A lack of change may mask political machinations that support maintenance of traditions. An interesting short story that explores this idea is Theodor Storm’s (1888/1996) Der Schimmelreiter, translated into English as The Dykemaster.

  5. Welsch (1999, pp. 205, 208) refers to the work of Hannerz (1990) in connection with transculturality but he does not specifically draw on the concept of world culture.

  6. I also suggest that cultureplace and culture-place can be aligned with Dewey’s (1916) notion of “occupations” (p. 361).

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Martin Lindner, Martin Vollmar, Peter Becker, Ralf Westphal, Teresa Segbers, Jan Wypich, Kirsti Pedersen-Gurholt and Chris Loynes whose association through the Transcultural European Outdoor Studies program enabled me to visit the University of Marburg and to participate in numerous discussions of Welsch’s work and the broader issue of transculturality which have significantly contributed to this paper. Many thanks also to the anonymous reviewers whose comments have helped improve this paper markedly.

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Quay, J. From Human–Nature to Cultureplace in Education Via an Exploration of Unity and Relation in the Work of Peirce and Dewey. Stud Philos Educ 36, 463–476 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-016-9507-6

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