scholarly journals Celestial Magic as the ‘Love Path’: The Spiritual Cosmology of Ibn ‘Arabi

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1 and 2) ◽  
pp. 145-166
Author(s):  
Christine Broadbent
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Production Of Knowledge ◽  
Special Place ◽  
Ibn Arabi ◽  
Sociological Discourse ◽  
Point Of Reference

Nature’s secrets can be approached in a variety of ways and this paper explores celestial magic as the ‘path of love’ via the Sufi teachings of Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi (1165–1240 CE). Given the honorary title of ‘the greatest master’, al-Shaykh al-Akbar, he occupies a special place in the Sufi tradition, because his writings are by far the most extensive contribution to Islamic mystical philosophy. His terminology and works have become a main point of reference for most Sufi orders, partly due to the historical circumstances explored below. His teachings continue to be widely studied, and a range of contemporary Sufi schools, like Beshara in Scotland and Karnak in Northern Australia, have introduced westerners to the study, work, invocation and meditation of the Sufi path as passed down by Ibn ‘Arabi.1 This paper explores his use of astrological symbolism to illustrate Sufi cosmology, as for example, his ‘orientations to spirit’, which are a different way of viewing the ‘quadruplicities’. In Mystical Astrology According to Ibn ‘Arabi, translator and author Titus Burckhardt (1908–1984) calls attention to what Ibn ‘Arabi calls the ‘contemplative penetration of cosmic atmosphere’. Mystical correspondences, including ‘eternal prototypes’ and designated prophets, are linked to planets, like the symbolic chain he draws between the moon and Adam’s prophetic role as the ‘mirror’ of divinity.2 This may beg the question of an overlap between the mystical and the magical, yet any such engagement depends on cultural norms and social context for its nomenclature. Celestial ‘magic’, explored as an imaginative engagement with the cosmos for the production of knowledge, allows the Sufi ‘love path’, to be considered. Further, Tasawwuf, the mystical path of Sufism, is suggestive for the sociological discourse on the ‘magical subject’ and for the question that frames this paper: namely, what are the implications for our ways of knowing?

Feminist Epistemology: An Interpretation and a Defense

Hypatia ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 50-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Social Epistemology ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Feminist Research ◽  
Feminist Epistemology ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Production Of Knowledge

Feminist epistemology has often been understood as the study of feminine “ways of knowing.” But feminist epistemology is better understood as the branch of naturalized, social epistemology that studies the various influences of norms and conceptions of gender and gendered interests and experiences on the production of knowledge. This understanding avoids dubious claims about feminine cognitive differences and enables feminist research in various disciplines to pose deep internal critiques of mainstream research.

Bridging Theory and Practice

2016 ◽  
pp. 304-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Cendon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Reflective Learning ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Master's Programs ◽  
The Social ◽  
Reflective Practitioners ◽  
Development Of Students ◽  
Point Of Reference ◽  
Professional Studies

This chapter focuses on reflective learning in higher education as central point of reference in answering to the social demands and the ongoing changes in modern societies. Empirical basis is a two and a half year study with a group of students in different master's programs at a University for Professional Studies and interviews with teachers who are teaching in master's programs of professional studies. The chapter presents a concept of reflective learning that values the students' practice and expertise as professionals and provides ways to further develop and transform this practice into new contexts. Hence, the productive linkage between academic ways of knowing and professional ways of knowing and the development of students as reflective practitioners are central elements.

The Queen of Hearts: Exploring the process of creating queer art and its use in dietetic research and practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-40
Author(s):  
Phillip Joy ◽  
James Iain Neith
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Central Character ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Alice In Wonderland ◽  
Queer Art ◽  
Research Findings

Body image issues for gay men can shape their overall health and wellbeing. The intent of this article is to explore the personal and creative process in translating research findings to art. The article first presents a brief overview of the research that explored how social and cultural norms constitute the beliefs, values, and practices of gay men concerning their eating, body image, and health. The research findings are translated through an art piece that is disruptive to the dominant ways of knowing about the body ideals set before gay men. An art piece that is, therefore, by definition queer art. The findings, and hence, the art are interpreted through the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland - a poststructural piece of literature. The article describes the considerations and processes used to create the art, including the central character, the colors, and the the symbolism of its various components.  Implications of queer art to dietetic practice are discussed.     

scholarly journals Using Slowmation for animated storytelling to represent non-Aboriginal preservice teachers' awareness of "relatedness to country"

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony McKnight ◽  
Garry Hoban ◽  
Wendy Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Digital Storytelling ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Assessment Data ◽  
Relational Approach ◽  
Special Place ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Stop Motion

<span>In this study, a group (N=15) of final year non-Aboriginal preservice teachers participated in an elective subject that aimed to raise their awareness about Aboriginal ways of knowing. A vital aspect of the course was developing the preservice teachers' awareness of "relatedness to country" which is a key belief for Aboriginal people. The non-Aboriginal preservice teachers selected their own special place and then experienced Aboriginal ways of knowing throughout the course and visited local Aboriginal sites to hear and listen to stories shared by an Aboriginal Elder. At the end of the subject, the preservice teachers created their own animated story about their special place using an approach called called </span><em>Slowmation</em><span> (abbreviated from "Slow animation"), which is a narrated stop-motion animation that is played slowly at 2 photos/second to tell a story. It is a simplified way for preservice teachers to make animations that integrates aspects of claymation, digital storytelling and object animation. To research this approach, the preservice teachers were interviewed at the beginning and end of the course as well as submitting their animation for assessment. Data collected revealed that all the preservice teachers were able to make an animated story explaining their relationship to their "special place" and most developed a deeper understanding of what a relational approach to country means. Getting the preservice teachers to make animated stories helped them to reflect upon their special place and was a creative way to develop their awareness of cultural diversity, especially about Aboriginal ways of knowing.</span>

scholarly journals The Moon is a Special Place

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Moriarty ◽  
Clive Neal ◽  
Samuel Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
The Moon ◽  
Special Place

scholarly journals Language and Context in Inter-Cultural Communication

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 414-418
Author(s):  
Dr. Ibrahim Abushihab
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Real World ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Mental Activity ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Cultural Communication ◽  
International Effort ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Text Context

The text is considered as a final product which exists in the mind as the result of a mental activity. It is a unit of human action, interaction, communication and cognition which are based on the context. Background knowledge of the social context and its cultural norms and the power of contextual inference help in finding the particular meaning of the text. Context is an idealized abstraction of the required meaning from the communicative situation whereas contextualization, as defined by Brelsford and Rogers (2008:1) is international effort to extend learning beyond the classroom into relevant contexts in the real world, and it also entails bringing realities of those extra academic comments into the classroom. Students who belong to a different culture often find themselves out of touch with the content of the topic being taught. Context and contextualization are essential in solving such issues.

scholarly journals Female Indigenous entrepreneurship in remote communities in northern Australia

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 329-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecil A. L.
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Grass Roots ◽  
Dominant Society ◽  
Indigenous Entrepreneurs ◽  
Community Enterprises

Little is known about Australian Indigenous female entrepreneurship. Misconceptions typifying Australian Indigenous businesses are community enterprises are encumbered by research limitations, generalisations and stereotyping; the material is seldom voiced by Australian Indigenous people; and few sources detail the challenges for grass roots female Indigenous entrepreneurs in remote Australian Aboriginal communities that maintain patriarchal cultures. In this paper is described how 21 Indigenous female entrepreneurs in a remote region of northern Australia have tailored their businesses to comply with the regulatory and statutory framework of the dominant society while preserving sensitivity to the traditional cultural norms, rules, and obligations. The data were independently corroborated by Indigenous and non Indigenous men of recognised standing in the region. These empirical observations provide foundation for better informed judgements about the business environment in remote regions of Australia, which is fundamental when developing policies for delivering sustainable female Indigenous small businesses.

Groove Theory

Groove Theory ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 11-36
Author(s):  
Tony Bolden
Keyword(s):  
Black Church ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
The Body ◽  
Philosophical Approach ◽  
Literary Scholarship ◽  
Production Of Knowledge ◽  
Black Vernacular ◽  
Music Making ◽  
Song Lyrics ◽  
American Working Class

This chapter explains the meaning of funk as a concept and introduces readers to salient precepts and characteristics. The chief argument is that (a) the phenomenon known as the funk/spirit—or, more simply, the funk—operates as a distinct form of black vernacular epistemology, and that (b) funk comprises the secular counterpart of “the spirit”—what Albert Murray calls “paroxysms of ecstasy”—in black church worship. This sensation, which is usually generated by the interplay between motion and emotion, has been a vital aspect of the production of knowledge in music-making within African American working-class performance venues. Funk foregrounds the body and sensuality as indispensable aspects of a musician’s ability to play certain notes and to create desired timbres and soundscapes. This sort of psychosomatic epistemological modality calls into question the normative mind-body split; and, as such, it stands at variance with the prototypical notions of knowledge in the Western tradition. It points up the limits of reason, and constitutes a recognition of other ways of knowing, multiple ways of knowing. Combining musicology, literary scholarship, and elements of philosophy, the chapter examines song lyrics in conjunction with musicians’ memoirs, fiction, and interviews. In doing so, Bolden creates a philosophical approach to funk as he examines recordings by James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder, and others.

Walking the complexities between two worlds: A personal story of epistemological tensions in knowledge production

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 628-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karun Kishor Karki
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Chronological Order ◽  
Many Worlds ◽  
The West ◽  
Personal Story ◽  
Production Of Knowledge ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
Indigenous Ways Of Knowing

In this article, I tell the autoethnographic stories of epistemological tensions emerging from my entanglement with Indigenous and Western ways of knowing in my journey towards my doctoral research in social work. I link these tensions to broader socio-political and historical tensions that tie together the West and the Global South. I highlight the sharp contrasts and contradictions as well as the nuanced contestations in the production of knowledge. I follow a chronological order to organize my narratives into four parts. In the first part, I describe my experiences of walking in two worlds. In the second part, I explore how I knew what I knew, depicting my indigenous ways of knowing. In the third part, I examine Western ways of knowing, depicting the subjugation of my indigenous ways of knowing. In the final part, I address the hybrid ways of knowing that I embody by walking in many worlds.

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