Embodied ways of knowing

Abstract

In this article I present an argument for 'embodied ways of knowing' as an alternative epistemological strategy, drawing on feminist research and embodied experience. To present my argument, I begin by considering a number of problematic dualisms that are central to Western knowledge, such as the separation between mind and body and between knowledge and experience. In critique of mind/body dualism, feminists and phenomenologists claimed that Western understandings were based on a profound ignorance about and fear of the body. Mind/body dualism needed to be challenged and articulated differently, potentially through valuing and understanding 'embodiment'. In critique of the knowledge/experience dualism, feminists and phenomenologists have suggested that 'knowing' could be based on lived experience. From lived experience, knowledge could be constructed by individuals and communities, rather than being universal and resulting strictly from rational argument. Research on women's ways of knowing and on movement experience provided valuable insights into alternative ways of knowing. Just as lived experience and movement experience could be ways of knowing, I argue that 'embodied ways of knowing' could also contribute specifically to knowledge. The relevance of understanding 'embodied ways of knowing' for those involved in education and movement studies may be the further appreciation, development and advocacy for the role of movement experience in education.

An embodied approach to consumer experiences: the Hollister brandscape

“…Turning to the literature on retail brandscapes there is a plethora of insightful studies that explore the lived experiences of consumers, in particular how they weave symbolic meanings into their experiences of these environments (see, for example, Hollenbeck et al 2008;Kozinets et al, 2002;2004;Penaloza, 1999;Sherry, 1998). Sherry (1998) and Peñaloza (1999), for example, explored Niketown from the perspective of how such sensorial, stimulating retail environments invited imaginative associations on the part of consumers.…”

Creative Research in the Arts: Introduction to the Special Section

“…Particularly in performing arts, the shift towards the legitimation of artistic practice and research has been propelled by the growing acceptance of experiential and alternative ways of knowing (Bannon, 2004;Barbour, 2004Barbour, , 2006Dewey, 1934;Eisner, 1998Eisner, , 2004) and a move away from 'somatophobia' (Grosz, 1994), or fear of the body as a site of knowledge. In the context of an increasingly virtual and globalising world, it seems that people are becoming more disembodied, more disconnected from local communities and contexts, and more self-destructive.…”

Te Auahatanga me te Ara Auaha Creativity and Creative Process: The Bright Creative Life

“…In the creative and performing arts, creativity is seen as integral (Barbour, 2004(Barbour, , 2006(Barbour, , 2007(Barbour, , 2011Barrett & Bolt, 2009;Bresler, 2007;Bright, 2013b;Kaufman & Baer, 2005;Tharp, 2006, etc example of creativity that is not solely dependent on a product: "In product creativity, the creative process ends when the creative product is complete and fixed, whereas in acting, the creative process continues through performance and constitutes the creative product-it has no existence apart from the creative process of performance" (p. 47). Hence, in an FP-I approach, the richness of western, non-western and indigenous perspectives on creativity are interwoven to provide a broader and richer understanding of the lived experience of a creative person.…”