Is “therapy” an aim of education? In some ways that answer turns on the question of what we mean by “therapy” in education. Certainly, in recent years there has been a turn toward what some researchers call “non-cognitive virtues” such as self-esteem, grit and “pro-social behavior”. But there seems to be more to it than this.\u00a0On the one hand, it seems clear that learners require some basic mental function and wellbeing in order to learn. Just as one requires food in order to be able to participate in sports, one needs a healthy mental state in order to expand one’s knowledge and understanding. But we would not say that food is the point of sports. Food is a means to engaging in sport. (I put hot-dog eating contests to the side, for now \ud83d\ude42 It’s also the case that caring for the ‘self’ has long been a part of the Western tradition of education (see Mintz, 2009).<\/p>\n
But the so-called “therapy” approach to education appears to take this a step further. On this view, the development and cultivation of positive mental functioning is not only means to education or a healthy practice, rather, it is the point and purpose of schooling. There is a sense in which this view has gone mainstream. Talk of positive psychology, social-emotional learning, wellbeing and pro-social interaction has had a greater and greater presence. Ecclestone’s paper, which serves as an introduction to our first debate, asks if this talk doesn’t eclipse a more fundamental task of education – to expand the knowledge and understanding of the learner. Is this something to be concerned about, or is the rise of therapy simply an evolution in our understanding of education? If education really is about therapy, what ought this mean for schools or universities?<\/p>\n
Optional further reading in this debate:<\/p>\n
MINTZ, A. (2009), Has Therapy Intruded into Education?. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 43:\u00a0633\u2013647. doi:\u00a010.1111\/j.1467-9752.2009.00720.x<\/p>\n
House, R., & Loewenthal, D. (2012). The Rise of Therapeutic Education: Beneficent, Uncertain, or Dangerous?. Self & Society<\/i>, 39<\/i>(3), 6-18.<\/p>\n
Wright, K. (2008). Theorizing therapeutic culture Past influences, future directions. Journal of Sociology<\/i>, 44<\/i>(4), 321-336.<\/p>\n
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