Research
The Principle of Relationality in a Culture-Enabling Approach to Philosophy for/with Children
Type: Book Chapter
Author: PPE Elicor
Book Title: Cultivating Reasonableness in Education: Community of Philosophical Inquiry
Publication Date: September 2023
Pages: 231-248
Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore
Abstract: In this chapter, I discuss relationality as a value principle that can be used to cultivate culture-enabling philosophical dialogues. A culture-enabling approach to Philosophy for/with Children aims to habituate children to critically appreciate their own and others’ cultures, articulate basic human values that cross cultural boundaries, and think through the conflicts and tensions that arise from cultural differences. This is a proactive response to the general observation that P4wC’s emphasis on western philosophical traditions and culture is too limiting. To complement Lipman’s criteria for thinking in the Community of Inquiry, relationality as a value principle expands the ways of articulating, acquiring, and validating knowledge that is more inclusive and congenial to children from other cultural backgrounds. It supports and enables children’s thinking abilities by infusing the criteria of interdependence, reflexivity, reciprocity, and empathy in dialoguing within a community of inquiry.
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Children as Dialogue Partners in Doing Filipino Philosophy
Type: Article
Author: PPE Elicor
Journal: Suri, Vol.10 Issue 2
Publication Date: October 2022
Pages: 1-24
Publisher: Philosophical Association of the Philippines (PAP)
Abstract: Since the introduction of Philosophy for/with Children
in the Philippines in the early 1990s, studies on Filipino children's
capacity for philosophical thinking are gradually increasing in
number. To date, no research has been undertaken on the
intersections of Filipino children and Filipino philosophy, a
lacuna that I intend to fill. I proceed on the assumption that aside
from being a pedagogical approach, P4wC is primarily a
philosophical enterprise that must emerge from the country’s
philosophical landscape. With its emphasis on the previously
lesser-known relationships between children and philosophy,
P4wC invites us to reconsider our assumptions about what
Filipino philosophy is, how it relates to the public, and our implicit
notions of who can and cannot engage in philosophical inquiry.
Such an invitation, in my opinion, is primarily addressed to
Filipino philosophers and scholars, encouraging them to
reconsider the generally-accepted ways of doing philosophy in the
Philippines and seek new ways to expand them. Recognizing that
no single Filipino philosopher can provide a definitive
understanding of the status or direction of Filipino philosophy, I
discuss some key ideas of two Filipino philosophers: Emerita
Quito and her concept of grassroots philosophy, and Rolando Gripaldo and his ways to become a philosopher. Making
connections between P4wC and Filipino philosophy opens a way
to recognize Filipino children not only as subjects of philosophical
investigation but more importantly, as dialogue partners in our
philosophical pursuits. My overarching claim is that engaging
philosophically with children expands the scope and directions of
Filipino philosophy.
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Philosophy of education in a new key: A collective writing project on the state of Filipino philosophy of education
Type: Essay
Author: PPE Elicor
Journal: Educational Philosophy & Theory, Vol.54 Issue 8
Publication Date: February 2022
Pages: 1256-1270
Publisher: Routledge
Abstract: While relatively unknown outside the country, Filipino philosophy is gaining more attention among scholars, educators, and philosophy communities in the Philippines. This growing discussion generates analysis of the various facets substantiating what is ‘organic’ and distinct about Filipino philosophy. One major aspect of interest in Filipino philosophy is education. Reflecting on the nature, aims, and problems of education, Filipino philosophy of education investigates philosophical issues and emerging trends of philosophical thinking in education which are distinctive to the Filipino context. The educational facet of Filipino philosophy is worth exploring for enriching self-understanding of what constitutes the Filipino philosophical and educational experience in the twenty-first century.
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I am Keeping my Cultural Hat On: Exploring a ‘Culture-Enabling’ Philosophy for/with Children Practice
Type: Article
Author: PPE Elicor
Journal: childhood and philosophy, Vol.17
Publication Date: March 2021
Pages: 1-18
Publisher: Universiade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Abstract: In this paper, I offer a preliminary sketch of a culture-enabling Philosophy for/with Children practice. It is an approach to engaging philosophically with children that aims to encourage the exercise of critical reflection at the level of their respective cultures. This kind of P4wC practice hopes to address the challenges in facilitating philosophical dialogues with culturally/ethnically-diverse groups, especially when prejudice and negative stereotypes towards cultural/ethnic minorities are prevalent. Its focus is on helping children become cognizant of their cultural situatedness and its impact on their thinking and attitude towards dialogue. Underlying this practice is the assumption that Philosophy is fundamentally a worldview and a method that is embedded in the culture where it is created, validated, and used. Such a manner of doing philosophy recognizes that children are active bearers of culture and are entitled to educational opportunities, like P4wC, that can empower them to think for themselves and with others while staying grounded in their cultural backgrounds. Thus, the community of inquiry functions as a caring space where intercultural understanding and critical affirmation of cultures are fostered and sustained. In connection, I suggest that a culture-enabling P4wC teacher should have three desired traits: a) openness to various cultural resources and frames, b) a sense of critical positionality, and c) partiality to the culturally marginalized.
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Mapping Identity Prejudice: Locations of Epistemic Injustice in Philosophy for/with Children
Type: Article
Author: PPE Elicor
Journal: childhood and philosophy, Vol.16 Issue 1
Publication Date: March 2020
Pages: 1-25
Publisher: Universiade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Abstract: This article aims to map the locations of identity prejudice that occurs in the context of a Community of Inquiry. My claim is that epistemic injustice, which usually originates from seemingly ‘minor’ cases of identity prejudice, can potentially leak into the actual practice of P4wC. Drawing from Fricker, the various forms of epistemic injustice are made explicit when epistemic practices are framed within concrete social circumstances where power, privilege and authority intersect, which is observable in school settings. In connection, despite the pedagogical improvements P4wC offers, some forms of identity prejudice prevalent in traditional classrooms may persist, affecting children who are identified with negatively stereotyped social groups. It is, therefore, important to pay attention to the reality of epistemic injustice and the possible locations where it may potentially surface in the COI. Drawing from my P4wC experience, I show that identity prejudice stems from the intersections of the roles and positionalities of the participants in a philosophical dialogue. These intersections point towards the epistemic relationships of the P4wC teacher, the students, and the P4wC program itself. I conclude that identity prejudice arises circumstantially and/or substantively in P4wC scholarship and practice.
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