Academic Practice and Public Engagement through the Lens of Hannah Arendt's Public Sphere of Action

Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

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13

Higher Education; Social Responsibility; Educational Philosophy; Conferences (Gatherings); College Faculty; School Community Relationship; Freedom; Social Theories; Public Service; Foreign Countries; Partnerships in Education; International Cooperation; Universities; Social Systems; Entrepreneurship; Interdisciplinary Approach; Teacher Student Relationship; Mentors; Graduate Students; Faculty Development; Models; Student Attitudes; Teacher Attitudes; Service Learning; Dialogs (Language)

United Kingdom (England); Spain; Portugal; Peru; Bolivia

10.1080/0305764X.2021.1926928

0305-764X

This article contributes to conceptualisations of public engagement as part of academic practice in higher education. It uses Hannah Arendt's idea of action in the public sphere, which is underpinned by the belief that all have the capacity to contribute to the renewal of the world, and that we are equally different. It argues that public engagement should go beyond a one-way flow from the academic to the public and should instead aim to promote engagement towards renewed understandings of all participants. The ideas are exemplified by the practical example of a conference, co-designed and co-organised by the author. It highlights participatory processes of the conference towards generating engagement of a wide variety of participants and considers evidence of the renewal of understandings from such public engagement. The conference is drawn upon to develop a reconceptualisation of public engagement.

As Provided

2022

EJ1322494