Dr. Barbara Weber is an Associate Professor in Human Development, Learning and Culture in the Department of Educational Psychology & Counselling Psychology and Special Education. She is the co-director of the Vancouver Institute for Philosophy for Children together with Dr. Susan Gardner (Capilano University) and is presently coordinating the BC hub called “Engaged Philosophical Inquiry Consortium” (EPIC) that meets bi-monthly at UBC and brings together scholars from local universities and colleges, school practitioners and graduate students.
She has a PhD in Philosophy, Psychology and Education from the Ludwig-Maximillian University in Munich, Germany and was a full Professor of Philosophy at the University of Regensburg before she moved to Vancouver in 2013.
Dr. Barbara Weber has been working in the field of philosophical inquiry for 12 years. In 2004, Weber authored a complete curriculum and delivered a 168 hour certification program for elementary and high school teachers on EPI. This program was certified and nationally accredited by the German Ministry of Education. In 2005, she co-designed the structure and content of a University Program for philosophy students at the University of Philosophy, Munich. She has published over 40 articles with 26 on the subject of EPI, edited 7 anthologies with 4 related to EPI, and she has authored 4 books with one dedicated to EPI entitled: “Philosophizing with Children about Human Rights: Rationality and Empathy as Preconditions for a Democratic Dialogue Culture” (Freiburg, Germany: Alber Publisher 2013).
Her research at UBC investigates the impact of philosophical inquiry on the development of social-emotional skills such as empathy and perspective-taking. This work is funded by a SSHRC Development grant and HSS Seed grant. She also conducts qualitative research on how children think about core philosophical and sociological topics including nature, the environment, human rights, and globalization. For these projects she cooperates with different schools and alternative educational initiatives (e.g. Self-Design Learning) and collaborators with universities in Germany (e.g. the pedagogical University of Karlsruhe). She has also initiated a number of international and intercultural research projects including the Israel-German Project on Narratives, Dreams and Imaginations – Israeli and German Youth Imagine the Future, where she uses this inquiry based pedagogy to facilitate transnational philosophical dialogues on politically central topics.
Research Projects:
- Engaged Inquiry with Children: Fostering Empathy and Perspective-taking
This quantitative study involves children between the ages of 11 and 13 and investigates how engaged philosophical inquiries impacts their ability to empathize and take on different perspectives.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Barbara Weber
Co-Applicant: Dr. Kim Schonert-Reichl - ‘Nature Gives and Nature Takes’: A Qualitative Comparison between Canadian and German Children about their Concepts of ‘Nature’
The interdisciplinary pilot study uses qualitative and quantitative methods in order to investigate common concepts children (between the ages of 10 and 13) have about nature.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Barbara Weber - Building a Canadian Engaged Inquiry Network
This project will create a national network that explores, assesses, and promotes inquiry-based teaching practices in Canadian universities, schools, and informal learning environments. Focusing on teacher education, student learning outcomes, and community engagement, this network will initially consolidate existing strengths in inquiry-based pedagogy in Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta. It will also foster emerging interests in this pedagogy in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan before expanding nationally.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Rob Wilson, University of Alberta
Dr. Barbara Weber is one of the Co-Applicants - What are the Values and Meanings of Research Today? An Empirical Survey at U.B.C.
In this project we investigate: a. How do researchers conceptualize different kinds of knowledge in their disciplines and why is this knowledge valuable to them? b. What impact does justifying research with an economic vocabulary have on innovation and inspiration? c. What other vocabularies do researchers use to describe the value of research and what impact do these alternate narratives have? d. How are these beliefs and narratives similar to and different from those formally and informally maintained by the institution itself (i.e. the lead administrators)?
Principal Investigator: Dr. Barbara Weber
Co-Applicants: Dr. Steven Taubeneck (Faculty of Arts), Dr. Kirk Madison (Faculty of Science)
Research Team:
Dr. Mahboubeh Asgari – Post-doctoral researcher
Arthur Wolf – Ph.D. Candidate
Adi Burton – Ph.D. Candidate
Parmis Aslanimehr– Ph.D. student
Bruce Moghader – Ph.D. student
Bahar Khazei – Master student
Goals:
- Competition versus Cooperation
- Open end Processes of Dialogue instead of End-Driven Procedures of Strategic Rationality
- Critical Thinking or ‘coherent ways to express our feelings and thoughts’
- Exploring Perspectives, Emotions and Thoughts and Communicating across Differences
- Deepen Experience of Being in the World and Explore Different Ways of Knowing
- Cultivating Democracy and Appreciation of Plurality (Plurality as Depth and Increasing of Freedom)
- Learning about the Art of Conversation and Creating Meaning together instead of Individual Driven Consumption
- Honest Exploration of Human Depth instead of Memorizing Rules of Behavior
Single Authored Books:
Weber, B. (2013). Zwischen Vernunft und Mitgefühl: Jürgen Habermas und Richard Rorty im Dialog über Wahrheit, politische Kultur und Menschenrechte (Between rationality and sympathy: Jürgen Habermas and Richard Rorty on human rights, political culture and truth). Freiburg, Germany: Alber Publisher.
Weber, B. (2013). Vernunft, Mitgefühl und Körperlichkeit: Eine phänomenologische Rekonstruktion des politischen Raumes (Reason, empathy and embodiment: Towards a phenomenological reconstruction of public space). Freiburg, Germany: Alber Publisher.
Weber, B. (2013). Philosophieren mit Kindern zum Thema Menschenrechte: Vernunft und Mitgefühl als Grundvoraussetzungen einer demokratischen Dialogkultur (Philosophizing with children about human rights: Rationality and empathy as preconditions for a democratic dialogue culture), Freiburg, Germany: Alber Publisher.
Weber, B. (2003). Leib-Erleben und Körperwahrnehmung als Faktoren beruflicher Professionalität. Leibphänomenologische Theoreme der französischen Intersubjektivitätsphilosophie (J.-P. Sartre, M. Merleau-Ponty, E. Lévinas) in kritischer Diskussion mit den Frankfurter Körperkonzeptskalen (FKKS) (The influence of body perception on the development of communication skills in teachers. Phenomenological theorems of french phenomenology (Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Lévinas) in a critical discussion with the body-concept-scales (FKKS)), Regensburg, Germany: Roderer Publisher.
Edited Book Series:
Marsal, E., Weber, B., Gardner, S and Dobashi, T. Political Philosophy and Anthropological Studies. Münster: Lit Publisher.
Marsal, E., Weber, B., Dobashi, T, . Goubet, J-F., Kennedy, D., Nowak, E., Wehner, U., Bolz, M. Philosophy in Schools, together with Münster: Lit Publisher.
Edited Books:
Marsal, E., S. Gardner & B. Weber (2013). Respect: How do we get there? Münster, Germany: Lit Publisher.
Marsal, E., K. Herb, B. Weber & J. Glaser (2013). Narratives, dreams and imaginations: Israeli and German youth Iimagine the future. Münster, Germany: Lit Publisher.
Weber, B., E. Marsal & T. Dobashi (2011). Cultural politics and identity: Towards a public space of recognition. Münster. Germany: Lit Publisher.
Weber, B., E. Marsal, & T. Dobashi (2010). The politics of empathy: New interdisciplinary perspectives on an ancient phenomenon. Münster, Germany: Lit Publisher.
Marsal, E., T. Dobashi, & B. Weber (2009). Children philosophize worldwide: International theories and practical concepts. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publisher.
Marsal, E., T. Dobashi, B. Weber & F. Lund (2007), Ethische Reflexionskompetenz im Vor- und Grundschulalter. Konzepte des Philosophierens mit Kinder (Ethical and critical thinking in young children. Concepts of philosophizing with children). Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publisher.
Weber, B., B. Stalla & P. Merkel-Trinkwalder (2005). Phänomenologische Dimensionen der Bildungsanthropologie. Interdisziplinäre Forschungsbeiträge im Fokus ethischer Verantwortlichkeit (Phenomenological dimensions of education. Interdisciplinary research projects with a focus on ethical responsibility), Regensburg, Germany: Roderer Publisher.
Edited Journal:
Weber, B. (2007). Thinking. The Journal for Philosophy for Children, 18 (4).
Articles in Journals:
Weber, B. (2014). Philosophieren mit Kindern: Wieso, Weshalb, Wozu? Über das Spannungsverhältnis zwischen philosophischem und pädagogischer Anspruch in Auseinandersetzung mit Pierre Hadot (Philosophy with children: Why and what for? About the tension between philosophical and pedagogical expectations – in dialogue with Pierre Hadot). Pädagogische Rundschau 6, [Special Topic: Philosophieren mit Kindern als Unterrichtsprinzip? Positionsbestimmungen – Diskurse – Forschungsperspektiven; spcecial topic edictor: Andreas Nießeler), 623-635.
Weber, B. (2011). Childhood, philosophy and play: Friedrich Schiller and the interface between reason, passion and sensation. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 45(2), 66-82.
Weber, B. (2011). “All new beginnings are difficult?” – On childhood, politics and philosophy. Ethics in Progress Quarterly, 1(2), 14-24.
Morgenstern, K. & Weber, B. (2011). The recovery of the body: The disclosure of a forgotten precondition in James Mensch’s ‘Embodiments: From the Body to the Body.’ Symposium: Canadian Journal for Continental Philosophy, 43(3), 15-21.
Weber, B. & Morgenstern, K. (2010). Ueber das Buch von James R. Mensch: ‚Embodiments: From The Body To The Body Politic.’ Zeitschrift für Politische Theorie, 1(1), 11-13.
Weber, B. & Gardner, S. (2009). Back to the future in philosophical dialogue. Analytical Teaching and Philosophical Praxis: The Community of Inquiry Journal, 29(1), 22-29.
Weber, B. (2008). J. Habermas and the art of dialogue: The practicability of the ‘Ideal Speech Situation’. Analytical Teaching and Philosophical Practice. The Community of Inquiry Journal, 29(1), 11-21.
Weber, B. & Brüning, B. (2008). Philosophieren mit Kindern in Deutschland: Personen, Projekte, Perspektiven (Philosophizing with children. People, projects and persuits. ZDPE 1 (1); also printed in: Philosophie – eine Schule der Freiheit. Philosophieren mit Kindern weltweit und in Deutschland. Bonn, Germany: UNESCO Kommission, 65-68.
Weber, B. (2007). Hope instead of cognition? Cultivating human rights in young children based on Richard Rorty’s understanding of philosophy, Thinking. The Journal for Philosophy for Children, 18 (4) [special edition about Germany]; printed also in: Eva Marsal, Takara Dobashi, Barbara Weber (eds.), Children philosophize all around the world: International Theories and practical Concepts, Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publisher, 22-34.
Brüning, B. & Weber, B. (2007). Philosophy for Children in Germany. People, Persons and Pursuits. Thinking. The Journal for Philosophy for Children, 18 (4), 34-38.
Weber, B. (2006). Der Weise als Waise. P. Hadot und das „Bild“ des Kindes in der phänomenologischen Anthropologie (The sage as the eternal child. P. Hadot’s on ancient philosophy as a way of life.). Karlsruher pädagogische Beiträge (kpb), 61 (1), 128-143.
Weber, B. (2006). Sinnorientierung und Wertebildung im Dialog zwischen Gestern, Heute und Morgen (Instilling democratic values and finding orientation between yesterday, today and tomorrow). Zeitschrift der Hochschule für Philosophie München, 7 (2), 9-30.
Weber, B. (2006). Subjective Time and the Encounter in the Moment: Towards an Ethical Attitude for the Dialogue between Generations. Thinking, The Journal for Philosophy for Children. 18 (3), 12-28.
Zeitler, K. & Weber, B. (2006). Sinnlich erfahrbare Kunst als Bindeglied zwischen Philosophie und der Lebenswelt der Kinder. Ein Praxisbericht (Art experience and philosophical inquiry with children). Karlsruher pädagogische Beiträge (kpb), 62 (1), 68-95.
Weber, B. (2005). „Die Würde der Zukunft ist unantastbar!“ Der generationsübergreifende Dialog über Philosophie und Werte bei G. Matthews im Diskurs mit H. Arendt und E. Lévinas. (The dignity of the future is inalienable. The dialog between generations about philosophical issues – G. Matthews, H. Arendt and E. Lévinas). Childhood & Philosophy, 2 (1), 109-121.
Book Chapters:
Weber, B. (2013). Philosopher, une activité et un art de vivre ? Sur le concept de philosophie dans la philosophie avec des enfants (translated by J.-F. Goubet). In G. F. Goubet (Ed.), Philosophie avec des enfants (pp. 122- 134). Muenster, Germany: Lit Publisher.
Weber, B. (2013). Menschenwürde und Pragmatismus (Human dignity and American pragmatism). In R. Gröschner, O. Lembcke u. A. Kapust (Eds.), Wörterbuch der Würde (pp. 221-224). Stuttgart/München, Germany: UTB & Fink Publisher.
Weber, B. (2013). Embarking into the future: Dreams and visions within a learning community. In K. Herb, B. Weber, E. Marsal, J. Glaser (Eds.), Narratives, dreams and imaginations: Israeli and German youth imagine the future (pp. 15-33). Münster, Germany: Lit Publisher.
Weber, B. (2013). ‘To Tolerate means to Insult’ (J. W. v. Goethe): Towards a social practice of recognition. In M. Zirk-Sadowski, B. Wojciechowski, K. M. Cern (Eds.), The legal recognition of minority groups in the light of social science (pp. 54-67). Surrey, England: Ashgate Publisher.
Weber, B. (2012). Between rationality (Habermas) and sympathy (Rorty): Two pragmatic perspectives on human rights, in: K. Cern, W. Piotr, W. Juchacz & B. Wojciechowsk (eds.), Legal rules, moral norms and democratic principles (pp. 111-133). Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publisher.
Weber, B. (2011). Emmanuel Lévinas and the problem of mutual recognition or: The consumer society and its fears. In B. Weber, E. Marsal & T. Dobashi (Eds.), Cultural politics and identity. Towards a public space of recognition (pp. 17-29). Münster, Germany: Lit Publisher.
Weber, B. (2011). Toward a democratic culture of philosophical discourse: Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics as the fundament for the dialogue between adults and dhildren. In A. Wiercinski (Ed.), Gadamer’s hermeneutics and the art of conversation (pp. 127-157). Münster, Germany: Lit Publisher.
Weber, B. (2010). Sympathy instead of rationality: Richard Rorty and the reconstruction of public space. In: B. Weber, E. Marsal and T. Dobashi (Eds.), The politics of sympathy. New interdisciplinary perspectives on an ancient phenomenon (pp. 17-28). Münster, Germany: Lit Publisher.
Weber, B. (2010). Sand und Zeit: phänomenologisch-poetische Assoziationen (Sand and time: some poetic-phenomenological thoughts). In: M.-A. Bäuml-Roßnagl (Ed.), Bildungsethik als Bildungskunst (Ethical Education as the Art of Education) (pp. 138-143). Munich, Germany: Herbert Utz Verlag.
Weber, B. (2009). Community of Inquiry: filozofowanie z dziecmi jako nauka zachovan demokratycznych (transl. by Ewa Nowak), in: K. M. Cern, P. W. Juchacz, E. Nowak (Eds.), Edujacja demokratyczna (pp. 77-101). Poznan Series: Internationale Studien zur Philosophie und Psychologie des Demokratischen Lebens (International Studies on Philosophy and the Psychology of Democratic Life). Posen, Poland: Co Obera Publisher.
Weber, B. (2009). Towards a philosophical attitude or how to teach intellectual virtues: A dialogue with Pierre Hadot’s “Philosophy as a Way of Life”. In E. Marsal, T. Dobashi, B. Weber (Eds.), Children philosophize worldwide: International theories and practical concepts (pp. 240-258). Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publisher.
Weber, B. (2009). Ethical learning in times of value pluralism: The desire for wisdom as a red thread in the postmodern labyrinth of values. In E. Marsal, T. Dobashi, B. Weber (Eds.), Children philosophize worldwide: International Theories and practical Concepts (pp. 269-283). Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publisher.
Weber, B. (2009). Hans-Georg Gadamer and the art of understanding. Towards a hermeneutic community of inquiry in the classroom. In E. Marsal, T. Dobashi, B. Weber (Eds.), Children philosophize worldwide: International Theories and practical Concepts (pp. 303-318). Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publisher.
Weber, B. & K. Herb (2008). Philosophie für den Alltag (Philosophy of life). In UNESCO (Ed.), Philosophie – eine Schule der Freiheit. Philosophieren mit Kindern weltweit und in Deutschland (Philosophy as a school for freedom. Philosophy for children worldwide and within Germany) (pp. 101-114). Bonn: Unesco Kommission.
Weber, B. (2007). Ethisches Lernen in Zeiten des Wertepluralismus. Das Begehren nach Weisheit als roter Faden im postmodernen Labyrinth der Werte (How to find values and meaning within the labyrinth of postmodern times). In E. Marsal, T. Dobashi, F. Lund, B. Weber (Eds.), Reflexionskompetenz im Grundschulalter. Nationale und internationale Konzepte (Ethical and Critical Thinking in Young Children) (pp. 202-220). Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publisher.
Weber, B. (2007). Vorschläge für den Ethikunterricht: Zur Vorbereitung einer Unterrichtseinheit (Suggestions for the ‘ethics’ curriculum: How to work out a manual in P4C). In E. Marsal, T. Dobashi, B. Weber, F. Lund (Eds.), Reflexionskompetenz unterrichten. Nationale und internationale Konzepte (Ethical and Critical Thinking in Young Children) (pp. 120-132). Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publisher.
Weber, B. (2007). Lernen aus der Zukunft: Der Moment des Unvorhersehbaren in der Forschung (Learning from the future: The notion of the surprise in education). In R. Girg, U. Lichtinger & T. Müller (Eds.), Integrale Pädagogik (Integral Pedagogy) (pp. 23-37). Regensburg, Germany: Roderer Verlag.
Weber, B. (2007). Der politische Dialog zwischen den Generationen (The political dialogue between adults and children). In K. Herb, S. Höfling, R. Wiesheu (Eds.), Politische Hefte (pp. 109-121). München Germany: Hanns Seidl Stiftung.
Weber, B. (2005). Begegnung im Augenblick: Dialogphilosophische Ansätze zu den Chiasmen der Lebenswege von Kind und Pädagogen bei Schaeffler, Buber, Rosenzweig und Arendt (Encounter in the moment between children and educators: Dialog-philosophical theories of Schäffler, Buber, Rosenzweig and Arendt.). In: B. Weber, B. Stalla und P. Merkel-Trinkwalder (Eds.), Phänomenologische Dimensionen der Bildungsanthropologie. Interdisziplinäre Forschungsbeiträge im Fokus ethischer Verantwortlichkeit (Phenomenological dimensions of an educational anthropology. Interdisciplinary research in the perspective of ethically responsible teaching) (pp. 21-37). Regensburg, Germany: Roderer Publisher.
Weber, B. (2005). Phänomenologische Ansätze zum Chiasmus der Lebenswege zwischen Pädagoge und Kind (Phenomenological theories about the chiasma of ‘lifepaths’ between the child and the pedagogue). In B. Stall & J. Dichtl (Eds.), Vernetztes Denken (Cross-linked Thinking) (pp. 15-28), Munich, Germany: Garnies Publishers.
Weber, B. & Merkel, P. (2002). Die Grundbedingungen des Menschen lehren: Erziehung zum Menschsein zwischen Spannung und Balance (Teaching the fundamental conditions of human being: education for being a human between tension and balance. In M.-A. Bäuml-Roßnagl (Ed.), 7 Säulen der Erziehung für die Zukunft: Interpretationsansätze zu Edgar Morin (Seven Pillars for an Education of the Future) (pp. 11-23). Munich, Germany: Münchner Studienhefte zur Grundschuldidaktik.
Submitted Papers:
Weber, B. (2014). Philosophieren als Tätigkeit und Lebenspraxis? Zur Problematik des Philosophiebegriffs im Philosophieren mit Kindern (Philosophy as a Cultural Practice). Childhood & Philosophy Journal (article accepted), submitted fall 2013.
Weber, B. (2014). The Chiasmatic Metropolis. Merleau-Ponty’s Invisible as a Source of Inspiration for Artistic Creativity. In K. Korhonen, A. Haapala, S. Heinämaa & K. Klockars (Eds.), Chiasmatic Encounters. Lanham, MD: Rowmann & Littlefeld Publishers (submitted Spring 2013, in press).