International Symposium “Theories and Practices of Care”

Saint Charles Campus – Conference Room 1, Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 University – 3400 Rue du Professeur Henri Serre, 34090 Montpellier.

The aim of the symposium is to create a space for debate around the idea of Care. The ethics and philosophies of care that have developed over the last three decades seem to be of interest to many professional practices (teaching, social work, land use planning, among others).

The contribution of reflections on care is based on a few key concepts that form the structure of the conference:

• Recognition of the interdependent relationships that connect human beings to each other, to other species, and to the environment. This interdependence contrasts with the widespread notion in our society of a fixed and separate identity. Understanding the interdependent relationships in which everyone is involved is fundamental to the prospect of cooperation between different sentient beings.
• The vulnerability inherent in life manifests itself in different forms and at different times in life (childhood, old age, illness, crises, etc.). Taking this vulnerability into account is the very foundation of a care-based attitude, both in practice and in ethics.
• The importance of a sensitive, non-utilitarian relational sphere made up of gestures and knowledge of care, often discreet and spontaneous. A sphere where everyone realizes that they need care and must care for others in order to live. These gestures and knowledge are intrinsically linked to a political dimension, to the creation of the conditions for "living together."

This symposium aims to explore further the avenues opened up by multidisciplinary studies that have highlighted these principles. The aim is to help highlight the importance, even the necessity, of care in the ways we inhabit the world (our relationship with ourselves, with others, with the environment, etc.).

Four areas of study are being considered:

• Ecology of the mind: what role can care play in the perspective of an ecology of the mind based on knowledge of how consciousness works? How can care help cultivate what is valuable in life and thus reinforce the meaning that beings give to their experience of the world?
• Education: How could care education encourage pupils and students to take care of themselves and others? How does care challenge teaching practices and individual and collective learning processes?
• The environment: How can the driving concepts of care (interdependence, vulnerability) transform the way we perceive natural environments and act within them? What benefits can emerge from integrating care theories into planning practices?
• Artistic practices (literature, art, cinema): How does artistic creation contribute to the emergence of an ethic of care?

More info:

• Download the program in PDF format
• Website
• Register by email

Contacts:

• Angela Biancofiore Professor, LLACS team, Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 University – Email
• Clément Barniaudy, Senior Lecturer, LIRDEF team, University of Montpellier – Email