This dissertation attempts to fill, in part, three lacunae in contemporary philosophical scholarship: first, the failure to identify the two distinct types of dialogism—psychological and interpersonal—that have been operative in discussions of the dialogical self; second, the lack of acknowledgement of the six most prominent features of interpersonal dialogism; and third, the unwillingness to recognize that interpersonal dialogism is a crucial feature of human ethical agency and identity. In Chapter One, I explain why dialogism has been relatively neglected—and certainly underappreciated—in contemporary Western philosophy. In Chapter Two, I offer a picture of Mikhail Bakhtin’s conception of dialogism. I explain why and how Bakhtin focuses on the novel in his account of dialogism. I then offer an account of Bakhtin’s claim regarding the dialogism of the ‘inner’ speech of thought. In the second part of Chapter Two, I offer an account of Gadamer’s conception of dialogism. I begin my examination of Gadamer by discussing the event ontology that serves as the metaphysical framework for his account of “play” (Spiel) and dialogue. In doing so, I explain some of the most important ideas in this part of his thought, such as his notion of understanding, tradition, effective history, the fusion of horizons, and the text. I explain what Gadamer means by genuine conversation, or dialogue, and I then describe one of the most important ideas in Gadamer’s thought—his notion of “play.” In Chapter Three, I give a critical account of the most influential contemporary account of dialogism in psychology, offered by Hubert Hermans et al., specifically in terms of their establishment of dialogical self theory. My examination consists of several parts. First, I discuss the ways they conceptualize the self, temporally and spatially. Second, I offer a description of their account of I-positions within the dialogical self. Third, I examine their claims about the necessary features of the dialogical self, and argue against one of their claims, which says that dominance relations are intrinsic to dialogue. Fourth, I describe their account of the four kinds of relations that can emerge within the self (2010, 121). Fifth, I briefly discuss their view regarding the “[t]hree models of self and identity, associated with different historical phases” (4), that have predominated in Western history. Sixth, I consider their claim that there are “positions” within the self in addition to the “I-positions” noted above. And lastly, I evaluate their account of (what they call) the nine “features of good dialogue” (10). In Chapter Four, I offer a critical evaluation of the account of dialogue and dialogism developed by Dmitri Nikulin, arguably the leading contemporary philosopher on the subjects. While I address the features of his account that I think are correct, I ultimately argue that it is problematic for three main reasons: first, it fails to recognize the proper relationship between dialogue and agency; second, its elucidation of the necessary and sufficient conditions for dialogue contains conceptual inconsistencies; and third, its conception of the relation between dialogue and personhood has potentially disastrous ethical implications. In Chapter Five, I show how Heidegger’s notions of Dasein’s “Being-with” (Mitsein), “discourse” (Rede), and “solicitude” (Fursorge) help lay the groundwork for recognizing some important features of dialogism. I do three things in Chapter Six. First, I briefly discuss Charles Taylor’s work on dialogism. Second, I offer my account of the seven most prominent features of dialogism. And third, I argue that dialogism is a crucial feature of ethical agency and identity. To do so, I offer an example of a personal (and social) virtue, namely, empathy, which illustrates the important role dialogism plays in ethical agency.

As of 2007, approximately 73% of the 18 million college students in this country could be identified as nontraditional (Ross-Gordon, 2011). A key characteristic distinguishing this group from the traditional college student is the influence of multiple roles of the adult learner on the learning and engagement process (Keith, Byerly, Floerchinger, Pence, & Thornberg, 2006). Ross-Gordon remarks on some roles that may provide life experience, an asset to understanding theoretical constructs otherwise immaterial to younger, traditional learners. However, it is important to recognize the complex dynamic of conflicting roles as challenges to the academic competence of nontraditional college students. This research examined the vague definition of the nontraditional student and the factors that influence the learning and engagement processes. Through the lens of Hermans and Gieser's (2012) dialogical self-theory and higher education discourse, a novel examination of group role identity salience is proposed as a useful model for improving the educational and social realities of the adult learner.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:20:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Eliana Massih.pdf: 678661 bytes, checksum: 2e70a35edc574595bdecf3d0289d23e8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-06-20 / This thesis deals with a derivation of the Dialogic Self Theory in order to understand some psychotherapeutic issues on Catholic seminarians at the end of their personal training process. The life narratives, dreams, memories and reflections accounts of her clients are her main tools showing that dialogue established within the clinical conversations fosters the human adulthood. Some key concepts of this theory and the inclusion of some dimensions of the original culture of clients in the interpretation of clinical issues are the way used to reach that purpose. The author argues that her findings could be validated by the subjects of the research themselves; this is an appropriate way to investigate methodologically and epistemologically the human religiosity in its cultural dimension and, in particular, when one deals with subjects whose core value of their lives is the religiosity. As a last point, she validates her conclusions bringing up her own personal development as a researcher in Psychology of Religion and she proposes new research fields / A tese apresenta uma derivação da Teoria do self dialógico para a compreensão de aspectos emergentes na psicoterapia de seminaristas católicos em vias da ordenação. A autora utiliza as narrativas de vida, sonhos, memórias e reflexões de seus clientes para mostrar que o diálogo estabelecido na conversação clínica fomenta o amadurecimento humano dos mesmos. Esse objetivo é atingido através de alguns conceitos-chave da teoria e da inclusão da cultura original dos clientes na interpretação dos fatos da clínica. A autora mostra que suas conclusões são validadas pelos próprios sujeitos de pesquisa o que é metodológica e epistemologicamente adequado para investigar a religiosidade humana em sua dimensão cultural e, em especial, quando se trata de sujeitos que tem como valor central de suas vidas a religiosidade. Finalmente valida suas conclusões mencionando seu próprio amadurecimento enquanto pesquisadora em Psicologia da Religião e propõe novas aberturas de investigação

The aim of the research undertaken was to answer the question “How do insights during Inclusive Learning Support Programme (ILSP) meetings between parents and teachers of children with Down syndrome (DS) inform mutual attainment of each groups' expectations?” Inclusive Education (IE) for the learner with DS was introduced informally during the early 1990s in South Africa within a few local schools in Pretoria. Transcribed interviews and observations were used from a sample of teachers and parents of children with DS conducted by the ILSP coordinator to collect data. They were analysed using Herman’s and Herman’s- Konopka's (2010) dialogical self theory, positioning theory and pronoun grammar analysis. Results showed there are two opposing tensions in education. One is a need for stability. This is offset by the dynamic nature of education practice with its many actors - learners, teachers, managerial and supervisory staff, support staff, institutions and government departments. Every actor interprets education according to their goals, subjective beliefs and understanding of what the education process is occupying a dominant position but working from a shadow position. IE brings its own set of tensions to the actors in education. Policy documents from government, as interpreted in schools in South Africa, express the need for stability in education. The study was limited to the constraints of the academic format. More accessible versions of the findings and recommendations can be developed in papers. For ILSP coordinators practically to have a promoter position in the dialogue between teachers and parents there is a need for them to become acutely aware of the positions they adopt in dialogue in themselves and with reference to others. The study has offered a new way of interpreting the expectations of both parties in the ILSP meetings and rendering a solution to the often frustrating outcomes. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Cette étude doctorale présente une analyse des identités musulmanes et de leurs multiples compréhensions dans un contexte d’immigration, de globalisation et de multiculturalisme en Finlande et au Québec, Canada. Elle porte sur les auto-identifications d’étudiantes universitaires issues de l’immigration qui ont un attachement personnel à l’identité musulmane – cette identité peut être considérée, entre autres, comme religieuse, culturelle ou faisant partie de l’héritage familial. Ainsi, elle peut être vécue comme acquise, choisie, adorée, mais aussi imposée, rejetée ou ignorée. Étant donné que dans plusieurs contextes européens et nord-américains l’identité musulmane est devenue « le symbole de l’Autre », les rapports de pouvoir locaux et globaux sont mis en relief dans notre étude. Nous supposons que quelle que soit la manière dont les participantes s’identifient comme musulmanes, elles ne peuvent pas échapper aux hiérarchies de pouvoir discriminatoires qui participent à la définition de leur « groupe ». Notre thèse interdisciplinaire est au croisement des disciplines des sciences des religions, de l’approche discursive de l’identité et des études critiques sur le multiculturalisme et sur les rapports de pouvoir. Nous appuyant sur un corpus de 30 entrevues effectuées en milieu universitaire à Helsinki, à Turku et à Montréal, nous proposons d’analyser les identités musulmanes des participantes dans le cadre méthodologique et théorique de la théorie du soi dialogique et des pragmatiques discursives à partir d’une conception d’un sujet hétérogène et multivocal. Ce cadre nous permet de cerner l’identité comme négociée et instable qui est, en même temps, à la recherche d’une certaine cohérence. L’objectif de notre recherche est de proposer une nouvelle analyse des identités musulmanes à partir des interactions complexes entre les identifications, les désidentifications et les confusions en tant que « types de négociation » identitaires. Ces négociations s’ancrent dans différents contextes discursifs : elles se réalisent à partir des rapports de pouvoir globaux et locaux, de divers repères spatiaux et temporels ainsi que de multiples positions et voix du soi et des autres, auxquels nous nous intéressons. Ainsi, les résultats de notre recherche confirment la complexité de la construction identitaire musulmane. Ils reflètent des manières multiples de considérer cette identité comme contextuellement construite et négociée en relation avec l’altérité et avec plusieurs points d’identifications saillants. Notre recherche contribue donc à dépasser certaines simplifications des définitions de l’identité musulmane : elle propose des moyens de s’éloigner de certaines tendances actuelles théoriques qui ne soulignent pas suffisamment la multiplicité qui caractérise la construction de cette identité. / In this doctoral research project I explore the multiplicity of Muslim identity construction in Finland and the province of Quebec, Canada, within the context of immigration, globalization, and multiculturalism. My interest lies in the Muslim self-identifications of female students who have an immigrant background. They can define their Muslim identities in many different ways: as religious, cultural, part of family heritage, and so forth. Thus, these identities can be experienced as given, chosen, or admired, but also imposed, rejected or ignored. As Muslim identity has become “the symbol of the Other” in many European and North American societies, the global and local power relations are also prominent in my research. I assume that in whatever ways the participants identify themselves as Muslims, they cannot wholly escape discriminatory power hierarchies which participates in shaping the definition of their “group”. My interdisciplinary thesis situates itself in the field of religious studies. It engages with a discursive approach to identity and with a critical approach to multiculturalism and power relations. The analysis draws on a corpus of thirty (30) qualitative and semi-structured interviews conducted in university contexts in Helsinki, Turku and Montreal. Dialogical Self Theory and Discursive Pragmatics are used to explore Muslim identities, as these theories draw upon heterogeneous and multivocal subject positions. This framework allows me to conceptualize identity as something negotiated and unstable, but which, at the same time, aims at a certain degree of coherence. In my analysis I propose new ways to analyse Muslim identities by considering the complex interplay of identifications, disidentifications, and confusions as “types” of identity negotiation. I observe the multiple ways these types of negotiations are acted out in various discursive contexts and the ways they are anchored in local and global power relations. I draw especially attention to diverse temporal and spatial reference points and to multiple positions and voices of the self and others. The results of my research confirm the complexity of Muslim identity construction, as they reflect a variety of ways these identities can be contextually negotiated through the self and the other. As such, my research contributes to overcoming some simplifications of the definitions of Muslim identities: it proposes an alternative way to study Muslim identity construction beyond certain theoretical tendencies treating these identities without being able to fully highlight the complexity and the multiplicity that characterises them. / Tutkin väitöskirjassani muslimi-identiteetin monimuotoisuutta monikulttuurisuuden, globalisaation ja maahanmuuton kontekstissa Suomessa ja Québecin provinssissa Kanadassa. Keskityn tutkimukseeni osallistuneiden naispuolisten maahanmuuttajataustaisten korkeakouluopiskelijoiden tapoihin, joilla he määrittelevät itsensä muslimina: he saattavat kokea muslimi-identiteettinsä uskonnollisina, kulttuurisina tai hyväksyttynä osana perheen perintöä. Toisin sanoen heidän muslimi-identiteettinsä voivat olla ennalta annettuja, itse valittuja tai ihannoituja, mutta myös ulkoapäin pakotettuja, torjuttuja tai ignoroituja. Koska muslimi-identiteetistä on tullut ”toiseuden symboli” monessa Euroopan ja Pohjois-Amerikan maassa, myös globaalit ja paikalliset valtasuhteet ovat tutkimukseni keskiössä. Lähtokohtani on, että osallistujat eivät voi täysin välttää syrjiviä valtahierarkioita, jotka osallistuvat heidän “ryhmänsä” määrittelemiseen. Ja tämä huolimatta painoarvosta, jonka he muslimi-identiteetilleen antavat. Tutkimukseni on monitieteellinen ja laadullinen. Se sijoittuu uskontotieteen kenttään. Taustateorioinani käytän diskursiivista lähestymistapaa identiteettiin ja kriittistä lähestymistapa monikulttuurisuuteen sekä valtasuhteisiin. Pääaineistoni koostuu 30 puolistrukturoidusta haastattelusta, jotka on toteutettu yliopistoympäristössä Helsingissä, Turussa ja Montrealissa. Analysoin muslimi-identiteettiä dialogisen itsen (Dialogical Self Theory) ja pragmaattis-diskursiivisesta teoreettis-metodologisesta viitekehyksestä, joka perustuu heterogeenisten subjektipaikkojen moniääniseen ja monipaikkaiseen tarkasteluun. Kyseinen teoreettis-metodologinen viitekehys auttaa minua lähestymään identiteettiä epävakaana ja neuvoteltuna, mutta myös voimana, joka pyrkii luomaan jatkuvuutta. Tutkimukseni tarkoituksena on kehittää uusi lähestymistapa muslimi-identiteetin analysoimiseen useiden erilaisten samaistumisen ja epäsamaistumisen tapojen sekä hämmentyneiden positioiden kautta. Nämä identiteetin ”neuvottelutyypit” rakentuvat useissa eri diskursiivisissa konteksteissa ja ajan ja paikan kiinnekohdissa. Ne kiinnittyvät täten globaaleihin ja paikallisiin valtasuhteisiin sekä itsen ja toisten positioihin ja ääniin. Tutkimukseni tulokset vahvistivat käsitystä muslimi-identiteetin monimuotoisuudesta ja useista erilaisista tavoista, joilla sitä voidaan rakentaa eri diskursiivisissa konteksteissa itsen ja toiseuden kautta. Tulokset edesauttavat kyseenalaistamaan muslimi-identiteetin osittain yksinkertaisia yleisiä määritelmiä sekä nykyajan teoreettisia lähestymistapoja, jotka eivät aina kykene tuomaan esiin sen moninaisuutta.