ERIC Number: EJ1100189
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1085-3545
EISSN: N/A
Martin Buber's I-Thou Perspective as an Alternative Approach to Antibullying Efforts. A Response to "Exploring Prosocial Behavior through Structured Philosophical Dialogue: A Quantitative Evaluation"
Nolan, Carrie M.; Stitzlein, Sarah
Democracy & Education, v24 n1 Article 11 2016
The paper "Exploring Prosocial Behavior through Structured Philosophical Dialogue: A Quantitative Evaluation" ambitiously made the argument that a pedagogy grounded in dialogical inquiry as part of the Philosophy for Children program will positively affect incidents of bullying in schools. This response to the author's work includes a brief overview of her main argument and subsequent study and proceeds to suggest one possible alternative that she did not consider, namely Buber's perspective on the I-Thou relation and the potential this holds in regards to bullying. Making the argument that bullying is a normative issue stemming from how people receive each other, the response authors claim that if we met each other as we should, by identifying the other as inherently valuable and worthy of empathy, then bullying would not result. In other words, bullying is an outcome of acting as we shouldn't. Rather than focusing on responding to that action through a form of intervention, as the author did, this response emphasizes teaching children about how to better receive each other, thereby preventing bullying.
Descriptors: Prosocial Behavior, Antisocial Behavior, Bullying, Philosophy, Peer Relationship, Empathy, Prevention, Grade 4, Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Pretests Posttests, Caring, Classroom Environment
Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road MSC 93, Portland, OR 97219. Tel: 503-768-6054; Fax: 503-768-6053; e-mail: journal@lclark.edu; Web site: http://democracyeducationjournal.org/home
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Opinion Papers
Education Level: Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Jersey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A