Exploring the way of learning which the thesis defines “wayfaring”, the Pedagogy of Evolutionary Effort (neologism) discusses the controversial Islamic concept of ğihād, which, from a pedagogical perspective, educates to perform an effort (ğ-h-d) that is necessary to the purposes of spiritual refinement (ğihād al-akbar) and advancement along the path of knowledge (ğihād al-‘ilm). From this perspective, if effort is avoided and movement is restrained, the walk towards understanding slows down, till human evolutionary potential is silenced, with repercussions which involve the well-being of both the individual and the community. Protagonist of research is the muğāhid: a learner, whose condition of imperfection and perfectibility implies an increase, a process for which education should hold a caring task. The choice to let the muğāhid being inspiring, is induced by the intention to demonstrate how supposed otherness deserves to be considered for its formative role, and not just for its oppositional or additional one. Its inclusion in the discourse promotes the questioning of mono-perspective and peremptory considerations which cannot afford to exist in a reality that shows to be naturally pervaded by an irrepressible propensity for change. The thesis allows a dialogue among Islamic tradition, the Transformative Learning Theory (Mezirow, 1978, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003a, 2003b, 2016) and the writings of Joseph Campbell (1958, 2012a, 2012b) and Christopher Vogler (2010) about the theme of the hero’s journey, promoting myth and poetry as educational media. In the meanwhile, it explores the way the concept of ğihād is explained inside a traditional Javanese religious boarding school (qualitative research, ethnographic method; hermeneutic constructivist epistemological framework). To safeguard the dimensions of dialogue and co-construction of meaning, the researcher arranged individual video-interviews with Privileged Witnesses and eloquent voices belonging to the theological panorama of Sufism, Sunna, Ši’a and Christianity. Moreover, with the purpose of stimulating the comparison between their divergent perspectives, she organized and mediated a meeting called "Web-šāy": an international and interreligious focus-group about the issue of education to ğihād. The theoretical construction of the thesis reflects both the contents of the conversations with participants and the result of the in-depth study of bibliographic sources. The text consists of a first part (four chapters), in which the Pedagogy of Evolutionary Effort is presented, and of a second part, (four chapters), which is centred on the allegory of the hero’s journey and its comparison with Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory and the process of initiation emerging from the action of the muğāhid. Inviting to consider, in a critical constructive way, the frames of reference which are provided by the so-called “first home”, the Pedagogy of Evolutionary Effort questions the risk of preserving the purity of an “original” theorization, avulsed from any possible adaptation or reinterpretation, and emphasizes the impropriety of longing for immobility and separation. Following the same logic that it applies to the investigation of extremist tendencies and reluctance to move, the thesis urges the scientific community not to withdraw in its singular, speculative niche and exhorts it to turn with genuine interest towards the unknown and learn to observe its object of investigation through lenses that are made available by other disciplines, other cultural traditions, by another experiential baggage.

Esplorando la modalità di apprendimento che definisce “wayfaring”, la Pedagogia dello Sforzo Evolutivo (neologismo) affronta il controverso concetto islamico di ğihād, che, in prospettiva pedagogica, educa allo sforzo (ğ-h-d) ritenuto necessario ai fini dell’affinamento spirituale (ğihād al-akbar) e dell’avanzamento lungo il sentiero della conoscenza (ğihād al-‘ilm). In quest’ottica, se lo sforzo è scansato e il movimento è trattenuto, la marcia verso la comprensione rallenta fino silenziare le potenzialità evolutive, con ricadute che coinvolgono tanto il benessere dell’individuo, quanto quello della comunità. Protagonista della ricerca è il muğāhid: un soggetto in apprendimento la cui condizione di imperfezione e perfettibilità sottintende un accrescimento, una processualità verso la quale l’educazione dovrebbe svolgere un compito di cura. La scelta di ispirarsi alla figura del muğāhid è dettata dall’intenzione di dimostrare come la supposta alterità meriti di essere considerata per il suo ruolo formativo e non solo oppositivo o aggiuntivo. La sua inclusione nel discorso promuove la messa in discussione di considerazioni mono-prospettiche e perentorietà che non possono permettersi di sussistere in una realtà naturalmente pervasa da un’incontenibile propensione al cambiamento. La ricerca lascia dialogare la tradizione islamica con la teoria dell’apprendimento trasformativo di Jack Mezirow (1978, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003a, 2003b, 2016) e le elaborazioni di Joseph Campbell (1958, 2012a, 2012b) e Christopher Vogler (2010) attorno al tema del viaggio eroico, privilegiando il mito e la poesia quali media educativi. Nel mentre, esplora il modo in cui il concetto di ğihād è trasmesso all’interno di un collegio religioso tradizionale giavanese. La ricerca è condotta con metodo qualitativo etnografico, in cornice epistemologica ermeneutico-costruttivista. Al fine di salvaguardare la dimensione di dialogo e co-costruzione dei significati, sono stati condotti colloqui individuali e video-interviste con testimoni privilegiati e voci eloquenti del panorama teologico di Sufismo, Sunna, Ši’a e Cristianesimo e, con l’intenzione di stimolare il confronto fra le loro divergenti prospettive, è stato organizzato e mediato un incontro dal nome di “Web-šāy”: un focus-group internazionale e interreligioso attorno al tema dell’educazione al ğihād. La costruzione teorica della tesi riflette i contenuti delle conversazioni con i partecipanti e i risultati dell’approfondimento delle fonti bibliografiche. Il testo consta di una prima parte (quattro capitoli), in cui è presentata la Pedagogia dello Sforzo Evolutivo e di una seconda (quattro capitoli), centrata sull’allegoria del viaggio eroico e il suo confronto con la teoria dell’apprendimento trasformativo di Mezirow e la processualità individuata nel percorso d’iniziazione emergente dall’azione del muğāhid. Nel medesimo modo in cui invita a considerare con sguardo critico costruttivo le cornici di riferimento fornite dalla cosiddetta “prima casa”, la Pedagogia dello Sforzo Evolutivo si interroga su quali siano i rischi del preservare la purezza di una teorizzazione “originaria”, distinta da ogni possibile adattamento o reinterpretazione, e rimarca la sconvenienza delle brame di immobilità e di separazione. Seguendo le medesime logiche che applica nell’indagare le derive estremistiche e la riluttanza al movimento, esorta la comunità scientifica a non impigrirsi in una propria, singolare, nicchia speculativa. La esorta a sporgersi con interesse autentico verso il non conosciuto e ad apprendere a osservare uno stesso oggetto di indagine attraverso le lenti rese disponibili da altre discipline, altre tradizioni culturali, altri bagagli esperienziali.

(2022). Il viaggio del muğāhid. Il ğihād e la Pedagogia dello Sforzo Evolutivo. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2022).

Il viaggio del muğāhid. Il ğihād e la Pedagogia dello Sforzo Evolutivo

COLONELLO, PAOLA
2022

Abstract

Exploring the way of learning which the thesis defines “wayfaring”, the Pedagogy of Evolutionary Effort (neologism) discusses the controversial Islamic concept of ğihād, which, from a pedagogical perspective, educates to perform an effort (ğ-h-d) that is necessary to the purposes of spiritual refinement (ğihād al-akbar) and advancement along the path of knowledge (ğihād al-‘ilm). From this perspective, if effort is avoided and movement is restrained, the walk towards understanding slows down, till human evolutionary potential is silenced, with repercussions which involve the well-being of both the individual and the community. Protagonist of research is the muğāhid: a learner, whose condition of imperfection and perfectibility implies an increase, a process for which education should hold a caring task. The choice to let the muğāhid being inspiring, is induced by the intention to demonstrate how supposed otherness deserves to be considered for its formative role, and not just for its oppositional or additional one. Its inclusion in the discourse promotes the questioning of mono-perspective and peremptory considerations which cannot afford to exist in a reality that shows to be naturally pervaded by an irrepressible propensity for change. The thesis allows a dialogue among Islamic tradition, the Transformative Learning Theory (Mezirow, 1978, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003a, 2003b, 2016) and the writings of Joseph Campbell (1958, 2012a, 2012b) and Christopher Vogler (2010) about the theme of the hero’s journey, promoting myth and poetry as educational media. In the meanwhile, it explores the way the concept of ğihād is explained inside a traditional Javanese religious boarding school (qualitative research, ethnographic method; hermeneutic constructivist epistemological framework). To safeguard the dimensions of dialogue and co-construction of meaning, the researcher arranged individual video-interviews with Privileged Witnesses and eloquent voices belonging to the theological panorama of Sufism, Sunna, Ši’a and Christianity. Moreover, with the purpose of stimulating the comparison between their divergent perspectives, she organized and mediated a meeting called "Web-šāy": an international and interreligious focus-group about the issue of education to ğihād. The theoretical construction of the thesis reflects both the contents of the conversations with participants and the result of the in-depth study of bibliographic sources. The text consists of a first part (four chapters), in which the Pedagogy of Evolutionary Effort is presented, and of a second part, (four chapters), which is centred on the allegory of the hero’s journey and its comparison with Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory and the process of initiation emerging from the action of the muğāhid. Inviting to consider, in a critical constructive way, the frames of reference which are provided by the so-called “first home”, the Pedagogy of Evolutionary Effort questions the risk of preserving the purity of an “original” theorization, avulsed from any possible adaptation or reinterpretation, and emphasizes the impropriety of longing for immobility and separation. Following the same logic that it applies to the investigation of extremist tendencies and reluctance to move, the thesis urges the scientific community not to withdraw in its singular, speculative niche and exhorts it to turn with genuine interest towards the unknown and learn to observe its object of investigation through lenses that are made available by other disciplines, other cultural traditions, by another experiential baggage.
ANTONACCI, FRANCESCA
ğihād; Islām; wayfaring learning; sufismo; adult education
jihad; Islam; wayfaring learning; sufism; adult education
M-PED/01 - PEDAGOGIA GENERALE E SOCIALE
Italian
13-mag-2022
EDUCAZIONE NELLA SOCIETA' CONTEMPORANEA
34
2020/2021
open
(2022). Il viaggio del muğāhid. Il ğihād e la Pedagogia dello Sforzo Evolutivo. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2022).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/375876
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