Agency in language. Lessons from (and for) a phenomenological approach to education

Abstract

Phenomenological Pedagogy shares theoretical ground with many other perspectives which have brought forward the idea of the discursive constitution of reality. Although highly diverse, these perspectives may be seen to have a family resemblance in Wittgensteinian sense. In this article, I propose an overview of them, starting with a presentation of the most consolidated and authoritative traditions, which may be considered the forefathers of the phenomenological family – having promoted the idea of the constitution of reality through the discursive practices of everyday life. Some aspects of Conversation Analysis, a discipline specialized in bringing out the phenomenally high density of everyday interactions, will be discussed. Finally, various currents of the Applied Conversation Analysis will be presented to suggest how the research approach developed in these areas of concern could be of great inspiration for educational research rooted in (re-)thinking the mind, culture and language “phenomenologically”.