Place, identity and becomings with mobile technologies: feminist and Chinese philosophies in dialogue

Abstract

In this paper we provide an East–West account of understanding the relationship between place, language learners, and mobile technologies. We argue that learning is “doing and undergoing” in the co-creativity of becoming and place-taking events. We also argue that identity emerges from experiences embodied in roles and relations. Foregrounding conduct, we find common ground between feminist and Chinese philosophies for understanding second language learners’ experiencing of “place” with the support of mobile technologies. We draw on ideas such as genuine pluralist categorization by feminist philosopher Marilyn Frye, Roger Ames and David Hall’s correlative cosmology, and Ames’ Confucian Role Ethics. We find similarities and differences between Frye and Ames on understanding perspectives of “identity.” We give equal weight to both the intensive particular and the extensive field for understanding human becomings to situate our interpretation of the data collected from Guardians of the Mo‘o mobile, a design-based research project. This paper is an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural endeavor that puts philosophy into conversation with second language acquisition and feminist theory with Chinese philosophy.