The emergence of the language of desire toward nonviolent relationships during the dialogic literary gatherings

Abstract

The dialogic nature of human beings has widely been argued in the scientific literature. Language, as a cultural and psychological tool, has the potential to construct social meanings, including those related to love, attraction and desire. In these emotional dimensions of the self, people use 'the language of desire' , defined as the capacity of language to raise attraction and be desired, while the 'language of ethics' is used to describe what is 'good' and 'ethical'. This article examines a dialogic intervention with 11-13-year-old children named Dialogic Literary Gatherings and explores its affordances to articulate both forms of language toward nonviolent models. 28 sessions from two elementary schools were analyzed, along with three focus groups with students. Main findings outline that dialogic features enable the emergence of the language of desire in combination to the language of ethics toward nonviolent relationships. Language is the main tool through which human beings interact and exist in society. It allows us to learn, to go further and deeper in thought, learning and development (Bruner 1996; Vygotsky 1978). There is a wide spectrum of discourses and ways in which people communicate to construct realities and those can either perpetuate oppression or transform our relationships into more egalitarian and democratic ones (Freire 1997, 2018). Hence, the discourses in which people are socialized shape our thoughts, values and world views. Especially important are those discourses related to love, desire and attraction in early adolescence since they will play a critical role in their socialization toward egalitarian or violent relationships (Gómez 2015). In particular, research has shown the existence of what has been defined as a coercive dominant discourse. This discourse, which establishes a link between attraction and violence, might affect young people's socialization leading toward engaging in power or violent relationships (Puigvert et al. 2019; Racionero-Plaza et al. 2018). Under the influence of such discourse, many of the messages youth receive and produce can be articulated under two categories defined as the language of desire (LoD)-referred

Creating Learning Environments Free of Violence in Special Education Through the Dialogic Model of Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts

“…Another of the barriers detected in scientific literature is the attraction to violence, which is learned from an early age, which leads to a social appreciation of those who practice it ( Gómez, 2015 ; Navarro et al, 2018 ; López de Aguileta et al, 2020 ). With the Zero Violence Brave Club, we can see that students have begun to desire and seek relationships that exclude violence, overcoming the dominant socialization that associates desire with violence ( Puigvert et al, 2019 ).…”

“…The dialogic model of prevention and resolution of conflicts (hereinafter DMPRC; Villarejo-Carballido et al, 2019 ) is an action based on dialogue and the intervention of the entire educational community, promoting active positioning and solidarity and protective networks in the face of any attack. This model aims at overcoming the dominant socialization that links attraction and violence and achieves the building of more egalitarian relationships that combine the desire for the best values and feelings and prevents violence among peers ( Gómez, 2015 ; Navarro et al, 2018 ; Puigvert et al, 2019 ; Elboj-Saso et al, 2020 ; López de Aguileta et al, 2020 ; Torras-Gómez et al, 2020 ). This study aims to investigate whether the measures that have been proved to be effective to prevent violence among students in ordinary schools can work in special schools, since social links and support networks may be more limited by the very difficulties of interaction among students and by the more individualized work that is usually carried out in this type of school.…”

The Impact of Evidence-Based Dialogic Training of Special Education Teachers on the Creation of More Inclusive and Interactive Learning Environments

“…In turn, Dialogic Gatherings consist of transforming the classroom into an interactive learning environment in which students read and share their views on world literature books, in an environment marked by egalitarian dialogue and respect for the diversity of opinions. The Dialogic Gatherings support the development of communication skills and school-relevant knowledge, while creating opportunities for students to build shared meanings about socially relevant issues (Lopez de Aguileta et al, 2020 ). As stressed by Aguilera-Jiménez and Prados-Gallardo ( 2020 ) the implementation of both Successful Educational Actions allow teachers to intensify the interactions among all students, not only in terms of quantity (maximizing the opportunities for cooperation among students), but also in terms of quality and diversity (promoting solidarity and mutual help among students with diverse needs, with the support of adult volunteers).…”

Contributions from Social Theory to Sustainability for All

“…Nevertheless, this deterministic and elitist vision clashes with transformative educational actions, such the Dialogical Literary Gatherings (DLG). In these, participants enjoy reading and debating the literary classics [29]. The first DLG was created before 1980 at the Adult School of la Verneda-Sant Martí, in a working-class neighborhood in Barcelona [30].…”