Session Information
20 SES 04 B, Issues of Identity
Paper Session
Contribution
In what way is teenagers’ spiritual understanding connected to their perceived self and social identity against a diverse cultural background? Researchers in the Western tradition found that the caring and understanding of a person’s spiritual needs and practices have evoked people of their deeper searching and honoring of life meaning; that also enhanced their pursuing and participating in justice-seeking activities (Lee & Barret, 2007; Hanna & Green, 2004; Palmer, 1998). In the Chinese context, research on topics of spiritual dimension and identity issues is meager. Part of this research project set out to look for which elements in Hong Kong experiential programs (“Erlebnispaedagogik” sensu Kurt Hahn), in an informal learning setting, have resonated to adolescents’ spiritual needs and practices; and how Hong Kong youngsters connected their spiritual understanding to identity issues of themselves and others in this Western and Eastern religious practice prevailing former British colonial city.
If a understanding of spirituality is taken as the practice of one’s religious and/or non-religious belief, a practice of, in Schleiermacher’s term, feeling the “sense and taste for the Infinite” (Schleiermacher, 1799; Unruh et al, 2002; Griffin & LeDuc, 2009), it is fascinating to see how Hong Kong teenagers at Christian-founded schools are used to Western Christian devotions and festivals, without losing their Asian religious practice such as worshipping forebears, chanting Buddha-sutra or keeping Yin-Yang-balance. When a universal everyone-and-everywhere applicable definition of spirituality, more preferable to the term religion (Bregman, 2006; Watson, 2000 & Heelas, 2004), is welcomed, that a spiritual person strives going deep into an inner-self and searches for meaning of one’s life (Frankl, 1963; Daniel, 2007) seems gaining its weighty ground in Hong Kong.
Many headmasters of the Hong Kong secondary schools, since late twentieth century, have their pupils attend experiential programs at informal educational institutions, which aim enhancing youngsters’ responsibility, sense of justice and compassion; and gaining sense of global citizenship (Hahn, 1965). Researches on experiential programs in Western societies, esp. adventure programs that include solo and expedition showed its catalytic effect to adolescents’ spiritual growth (Griffin & LeDuc, 2009); and other experiential programs also claimed a significant positive impact on adolescents' social, behavioral and intellectual perspective change (Daniel, 2007; Hartmann, Maluk & Riffer, 2007).
Employing multi-approaches, quantitative questionnaire, episodic interviews and data analysis, this investigation has gathered data from an experiential program and interviewing school staff and pupils, now it will find out how experiential program may serve as an innovative teaching-learning environment for nourishing learners’ spiritual dimension and thus also their identity perspectives.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Bregman, Lucy. 2006. Spirituality: A Glowing and Useful Term in Search of a Meaning. OMEGA, 53(1-2), 5-26. Daniel, Brad. 2007. The Life Significance of Spirituality Oriented, Outward Bound-Type Wilderness Expedition. Journal of Experiential Education; 29(3), 386-389. Frankl, Viktor. [1946]1984. Man's search for Meaning. Washington: Square Press. Griffin, J. & LeDuc, J. 2009. Out of the Fish Tank: The Impact of Adventure Programs as a Catalyst for Spiritual Growth. Ontario Research Council on Leisure /Loisir. 33(1), 197-215. Hahn, Kurt. 1965. Address at the Founding Day Ceremony of the Athenian School. http://www.kurthahn.org/writings/athens.pdf . Hanna, F.J. & Green, A. 2004. Asian Shades of Spirituality: Implications forMulticultural School Counseling. Professional School Counseling; 7(5), 326-333. Hartmann, T., Maluk, H., & Riffer, M. 2007. Teachers and Students Learning through Service: A Report on Need in Deed’s Developing Work with Teachers. Research for Action, Philadelphia, PA. Heelas, P., Woodhead, L., & et al. 2004. The Spiritual Revolution: Why Religion is Giving Way to Spirituality. Wiley Blackwell. Lee, E.-K. and Barrett, C. 2007. Integrating Spirituality, Faith, and Social Justice. Social Work Practice and Education: A Pilot Study. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 26(2), 1-21. Merriam, Sharan B. 1991. Case Study Research in Education: A Qualitative Approach. Jossey-Bass Inc Pub. ______. 1997. Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education: Revised and Expanded from Case Study Research in Education. Jossey-Bass Inc Pub. Palmer, Parker J. 1998. Evoking the Spirit. Educational Leadership; Dec, 6-11. Schleiermacher, F. [1799]1958. 1st edn. On religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers. New York: Harper and Row. Unruh, A., Versnel, J., & Kerr, N. 2002. Spirituality Unplugged: A Review of Commonalities and Contentions, and a Resolution. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69, 5-19. Watson, Jacqueline. 2000. From Transcendence to Ethics: Shaping Spirituality to Schools. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 21(1), 39-50.
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