Applications of the Aesthetic for

Work and LifeAmanda Lynne SmithPhD CandidateUniversity of Denver

Defining the Aesthetic

The word “aesthetic” comes from the Greek word, aesthesis, and means

recognition via one’s senses.

When was the last time you had an aesthetic experience?

Watching a breathtaking sunset Listening to music or watching a play Having a meaningful conversation Examining a piece of art Creating something Sitting still and feeling the sun warm

your skin Participating in a physical activity

Engage your Senses…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_5g_D_iP2s

Reflection

Take a moment to consider the way that this experience made you feel. The music,

the images – did it make you feel calm, present? Did it take you back, remind you

of something or make you day dream about places you want to go? What stands

out and why?

Introduction and Background

Captivating College Classrooms

Applications of Aesthetic Themes for Higher Education

The Aesthetic Themes

ConnectionsRisk-takingImagination

Sensory ExperiencePerceptivity

Active Engagement

Research Questions1. What are the intentions of aesthetically

minded teachers who purposefully utilize the Six Dimensions of Teaching and Learning (CRISPA) in higher education institutions?

2. How do aesthetic themes (CRISPA) operationalize in the classrooms of higher education?

3. What is the significance of studying the practices of aesthetically minded teachers for higher education and education in general?

MethodologyEducational Connoisseurship and Criticism

Educational connoisseurship and criticism is an arts-based qualitative method of inquiry initiated by Elliot Eisner (1998,

2002b)

Overview of the LiteratureAlexander Baumgarten

Immanuel KantJohn Dewey

Suzanne LangerAlian Badiou

Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiElliot Eisner

Maxine GreeneBruce Uhrmacher

Alexander Baumgarten and Immanuel Kant

“There are two sources of human knowledge, which perhaps spring from a common but to us unknown root, namely,

sensibility and understanding.”

“The distinctive activity of the mind is to synthesize and unify experience and to do so, sensation, imagination, and memory

must be involved.”

John Dewey“Through the creation of the expressive

object, the artist and the observer encounter each other and the origin of the experience.”

“Such a lived moment is completely memorable and connected by distinct, and unique qualities that bind the experience

into one that makes them felt as an interlaced and profound whole.”

Suzanne Langer and Alain Badiou

“The visual elements of experience are abstracted by cancelling out others.”

Badiou referred to these phenomena in his description of the poem and how poet

and thinker rely on one another and “embody within the work the opening out

of its closure.”

Mihaly CskikzentmihalyiThe overarching satisfaction that is felt

through interaction with aesthetic pleasure is generated from one’s

experience of aligning intuition and understanding.

Concepts of “Flow”

Elliot Eisner and Maxine Greene

“Aesthetic modes of knowing”

“Aesthetics as a particular field in philosophy - one concerned about

perception, sensation, imagination, and how they relate to knowing,

understanding, and feeling about the world.”

Bruce UhrmacherInvestigated the possibility of facilitating “flow” and other outcomes of aesthetic

experience, while isolating a concise number of aesthetic themes that teachers could use in their classrooms in order to

facilitate enhanced learning opportunities for students.

Theory into PracticeIndicators the Aesthetic Themes are Present

Well conceived lessonsIntegration of various disciplines

Enhanced creativityConnection making through the non-linear

Shared learningNegotiation skills

Increased communication Caring environment

Implications of the ResearchIncreased college student engagement

Higher graduation ratesNew approaches to teaching and learning

A more holistic educational experienceIndividuals who are creative problem

solversNew strategies and best practices for

online education

Applications for Work and Life

Work and Professional GrowthHobbies and RecreationLove and Relationships

Personal and Spiritual Growth

Work and Professional Growth

Determination, Integrity and Purpose

Hobbies and Recreation

Passion, Persistence and Courage

Love and Relationships

Vulnerability, Trust and Tenderness

Personal and Spiritual Growth

Transcendence, Gratitude and Hope

References

Badiou, A. (2004). Handbook of inaesthetics (A. Toscano, Trans.). Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.

Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Robinson, R. (1990). The art of seeing: An interpretation of the aesthetic encounter. Malibu, CA: John Paul Getty Trust.

Dewey, J. (1934). Art as experience. New York: Perigee Books.

Eisner, E. (1998). The enlightened eye: Qualitative inquiry and the enhancement of

educational practice. New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall. Moroye, C. M. & Uhrmacher, P. B. (2009). Aesthetic

themes of education and the art of teaching. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue. Charlotte Information Age.

“A happy life is one in accordance with its own nature.”

-Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Indicators of Life Balance Work-Life balance Fulfillment - and personal or emotional

fulfillment Well-being, and personal

well-being/wellbeing Happiness, or simply being happy At peace (with myself or life) or in

harmony with life Contentment, and inner calm