Laura Webber, M.A.
Below is an excerpt from my master’s capstone project, “Embodying the Moral Imagination: A Theoretical and Pedagogical Framework Exploring the Value of Practices of Embodiment in the Education of Peace Practitioners.”
Peacebuilding, at its essence, is about relationship. The practice of peace is to support generative relationships that allow for individual and collective thriving, and to support in the transformation of relationships that inhibit this experience. A conflictual relationship is one characterized by dissonance, whereas a peaceful relationship is one of harmony. Harmony does not necessitate sameness. In fact, it only arises through the resonance of varying frequencies. While certainly harmony and dissonance are sonic experiences, so too are they felt in and through the body. As the body is that which mediates our experience of the world, it is that through which we experience violence, conflict, and peace (Acarón, 2016). To the extent that peacebuilding necessitates a facility in navigating various landscapes of conflict, presence to these landscapes and the movement of the body through them is of great value. To this end, attending to the symphony of sensations and experiences that emanate from within and impact the body offers a way to attune the vehicle of the body to and through the navigation of conflict landscapes (see Figure 1 for an illustration of conflict landscapes).
Despite this value of embodied presence, little attention is paid to nurturing embodied self-awareness[1] and exploring the possibilities of practices of embodiment in peace education. With regard to the relationship between practices of embodiment and peacebuilding, there is precedent of this integration in both theory and practice (Acarón Rios, 2016; Acarón, 2018; Alexander & LeBaron, 2013; Beausoleil & LeBaron, 2013; Deer, 2000; Eddy, 2002; Eddy, 2016; Jeffrey, 2017; LeBaron, MacLeod, & Acland, 2013). Even so, the literature pertaining to practices of embodiment in peacebuilding is, as yet, fairly limited and far from mainstream. More extensive literatures exist with regard to the role of emotion in decision making and conflict resolution, the value of creative and arts-based approaches to peacebuilding, the potency of embodied practices for healing, and embodied pedagogies in education. Through an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from the existent literature, I seek to address the following question: How do practices of embodiment inform and deepen our understanding of established disciplines of peacebuilding and enhance the capacity of peace practitioners to navigate conflict landscapes?
Prior to mapping out how I will explore this question, it is necessary to provide clarification about its constituent elements by offering working definitions for the terms employed.
Embodiment is a nuanced concept. While there exist many definitions, the definition employed here is drawn from Thomas Csordas, who offers that embodiment is “attending ‘with’ and attending ‘to’ the body” (1993, 138), therein evoking the multidimensionality of embodiment wherein, the internal experience of sensations and emotions in the body is not separate from the dynamics that exist beyond the boundary of the skin. We perceive the world through the body, and cultivating attention and awareness to the body as our vehicle of perception serves to broaden and deepen that which we can perceive, within ourselves and in relationship with the world around us. Yet, as Csordas observes, “although our bodies are always present, we do not always attend to and with them” (1993, 139). In seeking avenues to deepen the attention we pay with and to the body, specifically with the intention to support peace practitioners in navigating geographies of conflict, I suggest three transecting landscapes of consideration: the intrapersonal (one’s relationship with oneself), the interpersonal (one’s relationship with other people), and the external (one’s relationship with the space one inhabits).[2]
The term “practices of embodiment” refers to practices that are guided with attention with and to the body. To this end, such practices are not about the form, but rather the quality and direction of attention they invite.[3] In other words, these practices are contingent upon the ‘how’ rather than the ‘what.’ For example, breathing can be a practice of embodiment if, when breathing, you draw attention to the texture of the air in your throat, the shape change of your body as the air fills your lungs, or the way in which a slow and steady exhalation can soothe and ground you.
For the purposes of this exploration, the disciplines and practices of peacebuilding that will be engaged are those articulated by John Paul Lederach in his book The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Peacebuilding (2005). This text emerges from Lederach’s decades of experience in the field supporting the work of peacebuilding. He explores the question of how we might transcend cycles of violence that grip the human community, even while remaining embedded within them. The capacity to transcend violence, he offers, lies in the generation, mobilization, and building of the moral imagination (2005, 5). The four disciplines of the moral imagination are:
“the capacity to imagine ourselves in a web of relationships that includes our enemies; the ability to sustain a paradoxical curiosity that embraces complexity without reliance on dualistic polarity; the fundamental belief in and pursuit of the creative act; and the acceptance of the inherent risk of stepping into the mystery of the unknown that lies beyond the far too familiar landscape of violence” (2005, 5).
In the writing of this framework, I strive to embody the elements of these disciplines. Accordingly, this framework is predicated upon an understanding of the web of relationships we carry within ourselves (the interconnection of body, mind, and spirit) and the web of relationships we inhabit that connects all people and all things. Through both an exploration of practices of embodiment as they support peace practitioners and the elaboration of a pedagogical framework in which such practices can be engaged, I consider ways we may practice paradoxical curiosity to transcend restrictive dualism of mind/body, self/other, and beyond. With an acknowledgment of the relative absence of embodied practice in graduate level peace education, this framework itself is a creative act, encouraging a new way of imagining peace education. In this light, I acknowledge there may be some risk in offering the possibility a different paradigm that invites us to explore alternative domains of learning, integrating body and mind.
In the theoretical framework laid out in the following chapters, I will explore the value of practices of embodiment for peace practitioners as they support a navigation of these three interrelated landscapes mentioned above: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and external. For each of these landscapes, practices of embodiment support peace practitioners by respectively deepening and broadening internal awareness, enhancing relational skills, and illuminating social and structural dynamics. Thus, my thesis holds that practices of embodiment support peace practitioners by nurturing deep presence, enhancing self-awareness, and cultivating intentionality relative to oneself, others, and the spaces we inhabit.
Beginning with an exploration of the intrapersonal landscape, such practices support peace practitioners not only in the intensity of a conflictual moment, but also promote resilience and longevity. Practices of embodiment increase interoceptive capacity, a connection to the felt sense in the ability to feel what is arising internally for an individual as well as the ability to perceive what is arising for others. Such attunement and perception strengthen our intuitive sense, which enables peace practitioners to pick up on subtleties in a conflict dynamic that may hold the seeds for the conflict’s transformation. Practices of embodiment enhance our capacity for self-regulation, an essential skill in the navigation of the complex domains of conflict, violence, and injustice (Eddy, 2016). Practices of embodiment can also support healing and the processing of emotion. For peace practitioners who may be drawn to this work resultant from past experiences of trauma and who are likely to encounter potentially traumatic experiences during the course of our careers, engaging in practices that can support such healing is invaluable. Similarly, practices of embodiment can support the longevity and sustainability of peace practitioners, as such practices can increase resiliency through enhancing skills of self-regulation and providing avenues through which to process intense emotion.
From the intrapersonal landscape, we move outward to the interpersonal landscape – from relationship with oneself to relationship with others. Three primary areas of consideration in this landscape are processes of attunement and co-regulation, the cultivation of kinesthetic empathy, and presence to non-verbal communication. The ability to connect authentically and presently with others is in many ways contingent upon our level of presence to ourselves. As cultivating trusting and transformative relationships is central for peace practitioners to be effective in our work, presence to our internal landscapes in relationship to others is vital. The ability to attune and connect with empathy and compassion with others is valuable not only for peace practitioners in the relationships we cultivate, but is imperative for communities affected by violence and conflict. Thus, not only are practices of embodiment that support the navigation of the interpersonal landscape beneficial for practitioners, they can also be adapted and shared as a means of building connection and relationship between individuals and groups in the peacebuilding process.
The third landscape of consideration pertains to the external landscape we inhabit. Spatial awareness is of great value of peace practitioners, in the way in which we create and co-create spaces, as well as the space we hold within ourselves. Practices of embodiment can support an exploration of the way the body inhabits physical, social, political, and historical spaces. Integrating practices of critical self-reflection, attention to the body offers an avenue to consider our own positionality, the identities we hold that are expressed through our bodies. With regard to ethical considerations for peacebuilders, and attention to the way in which we are perceived by others relative to dynamics of power, privilege, and oppression, is crucial. This elicits further sensitivity toward structural violence, the impact of oppression on the body, and the histories carried by the body, which draws on research around epigenetics and the transgenerational transmission of trauma. Further, we are brought to reflect upon the way in which spaces shape us and the way in which we shape the spaces we are in, a dynamic and everchanging process (Acarón, 2016).
Practices of embodiment, drawing attention to and with the body, thus offer myriad benefits for peace practitioners. With regard to the ways in which such practices can enhance and deepen understandings of established disciplines of peacebuilding, we turn toward various pedagogical literatures, and most specifically approaches of experiential education. As shared by Rae Johnson:
“Scholars in experiential learning (Boud, 1985; Kolb, 1984) assert that we learn about the world and ourselves in an interactive, ongoing action/reflection cycle. As we encounter new information and experiences, these interactions with the world change our view of ourselves and our relationships to others. From an experiential perspective, learning is a complex, holistic activity that is deeply informed by who learners are, what they already know and believe, and how their life experiences have influenced and affected them” (Johnson, 2014, 82).
In a future curriculum, I will offer means through which to explore disciplines of peacebuilding as set forth by John Paul Lederach in a deeply experiential way. More precisely, the disciplines of peacebuilding will be explored through practices of embodiment, as a means to bring theory into form and truly ‘Embody the Moral Imagination.’
Through the theoretical framework provided in the succeeding three chapters, I address multiple ways in which practices of embodiment can enhance the capacity of peace practitioners to navigate geographies of conflict. Moving from the intrapersonal to the external landscapes, I seek to illuminate the connections between the micro and the macro, and the ways in which attention and awareness in each landscape provide the foundation from which greater nuance and discernment can unfold. The penultimate chapter details a pedagogical approach that allows for the cultivation of these capacity enhancing practices simultaneous to a study of theory in peacebuilding. Through the map this exploration offers, we find the value of practices of embodiment lies in the ways they offer opportunities to deepen our awareness – of self, of other, of society – and harness such nuanced awareness to support a movement toward healing and peace.
[1] Alan Fogel defines embodied self-awareness as “perceiving our movements in relation to other people and our surroundings, registering the textures and depths of the senses, and exploring the intricacies of our emotions in relation to others and the world” (2009, 10).
[2] This triadic framework elicits the three interrelated branches of peace Toran Hansen puts forth in the article “Holistic Peace.” These branches are: “‘peace within’ (inner peace), ‘peace between’ (relational peace), and ‘peace among’ (structural/environmental peace)” (2016, 212).
[3] This interpretation of practices of embodiment aligns with Christine Caldwell’s notion of bodyfulness, which she differentiates from embodiment: “I would define embodiment as awareness of and attentive participation with the body’s states and actions. Bodyfulness begins when the embodied self is held in a conscious, contemplative environment, coupled with a non-judgmental engagement with bodily processes, an acceptance and appreciation of one’s bodily nature, and an ethical and aesthetic orientation towards taking right actions so that a lessening of suffering and an increase in human potential may emerge” (2014, 81).
References
Acarón, T. (2016). Shape-in(g) Space: Body, Boundaries, and Violence. Space and Culture, 19(2), 139-149. doi:10.1177/1206331215623208
Acarón, T. (2018). Movement decision-making in violence prevention and peace practices. Journal of Peace Education, 15(2), 191-215. doi:10.1080/17400201.2018.1463913
Alexander, N., & LeBaron, M. (2013). Embodied Conflict Resolution: Resurrecting Roleplay-Based Curricula Through Dance. In C. Honeyman, J. Coben, & A. Wei-Min Lee (Eds.), Educating Negotiators for a Connected World (pp. 539-567). Saint Paul: DRI Press.
Beausoleil, E., & LeBaron, M. (2013). What Moves Us: Dance and Neuroscience Implications for Conflict Approaches. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 31(2), 133-158. doi:doi:10.1002/crq.21086
Csordas, T. J. (1993). Somatic Modes of Attention. Cultural Anthropology, 8(2), 135-156.
Deer, P. I. (2000). The Body As Peace: Somatic Practice for Transforming Conflict. (Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Resolution & Somatics Dissertation), The Union Institute Graduate School, Ann Arbor, MI.
Eddy, M. (2002). Body Cues and Conflict: LMA-Derived Approaches to Educational Violence Prevention. Movement News of Laban Institute of Movement Studies.
Eddy, M. (2016). Dancing Solutions to Conflict: Field-Tested Somatic Dance for Peace. Journal of Dance Education, 16(3), 99-111.
Jeffrey, E. R. (2017). Dance in Peacebuilding: Space, Relationships, and Embodied Interactions. (Doctor of Philosophy), Queensland University of Technology.
Johnson, R. (2015). Grasping and Transforming the Embodied Experience of Oppression. International Body Psychotherapy Journal, 14(1), 80-95.
Lederach, J. P. (2005). The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace. New York, New York: Oxford University Press.
The Choreography of Resolution:
Conflict, Movement, and Neuroscience.
(2013). (M. LeBaron, C. MacLeod, &
A. F. Acland Eds.). Chicago, IL: American Bar Association.
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