![]() ![]() ![]() Within philosophy of mind, this “mind-body problem” goes back at least as far as Descartes and his infamous bifurcationist analysis of the mental and physical worlds which leaves unexplained exactly how they may be connected (Searle, 2004) More generally it results in the long-standing problem of how to explain subjective mental phenomena such as hopes, wishes, intentions, etc.―or simply what it is like to be something (Nagel 1974) ―in a world which, according to science, consists only of material objects, forces and processes. Susan Blackmore (2011) has defined the so-called “hard problem of consciousness” in terms of the question: “how can objective, physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experience?” (p. Consciousness, Vocational Education and Hard Problems In conclusion, the implications for practice are set out by bringing together the key elements of panpsychism, embodied learning and craft activity as means of enhancing VET, bridging the vocational/academic divide and raising the status of vocational studies at all levels.Ģ. The emphasis on the importance of manual work in the research on craft is used to support the notion of embodied learning drawing on the work of Merleau-Ponty (1962) and Dewey (1965, 1966). After initially exploring some links between the hard problem of consciousness and the key problem of VET―particularly the interdependence of the physical and mental aspects of experiencing, knowing and acting in the world―the principal focus on vocational difficulties is conducted against the background of recent work on craft and craftworking. The key focus of this theoretical/philosophical analysis of the “hard problem” of vocational education and training (VET)―which consists in the vocational/ academic divide and the subordinate, second class status of vocational studies in education systems throughout the world―is to suggest how the problem may be tackled by means of recent studies of craftworking combined with insights gained from developments in consciousness studies. Reflections on the central problems in consciousness studies may also help to illuminate the reimagining of the traditional dualisms of theory and practice, thinking and doing, the intellectual and the practical which are at the heart of the vocational/academic divide. Staying mainly within this latter philosophical domain, it is suggested here that recent works on conceptions of craft and craftworking-particularly the links between intellectual, ethical and manual activity-offer valuable insights, which can inform the perennial debate on these issues. Previous reconciliation strategies in relation to upgrading vocationalism have included recommendations for VET curriculum and assessment reform, changes in the nature and organisation of apprenticeships, new forms of partnerships between employers and trainers, and suggestions for alternative philosophical perspectives on the nature of work, training and education. ![]() Analogies are drawn between the “hard problem” of philosophy of mind consisting in the attempts to reconcile mental and physical phenomena and the similarly long-standing intractability of a core problem in vocational education and training (VET) concerning the vocational/academic divide and the inferior status of vocational studies in systems of education. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |