Theories and practices of Care" international symposium

Site Saint Charles - Salle des colloques 1, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 - 3400, Rue du Professeur Henri Serre, 34090 Montpellier.

The aim of the colloquium 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 a wide range of professional practices (teaching, social work, land-use planning, among others).

The contribution made by thinking about care is based on a number of key concepts, which will be the focus of the symposium:

• recognition of the interdependent relationships that link human beings to each other, to other species and to the environment. This interdependence runs counter to our society's widespread idea of a fixed, separate identity. Understanding the interdependent relationships in which each individual is involved is fundamental to the prospect of cooperation between different sentient beings.
• Life's inherent vulnerability is expressed in different forms and at different times of life (childhood, old age, illness, crises, etc.). Acknowledging this vulnerability is the very foundation of an attitude of care, both as a practice and as an ethic.
• The importance of a sensitive, non-utilitarian relational sphere made up of gestures and knowledge of care, often discreet and spontaneous. It's a sphere in which we all realize that we need to take care of ourselves in order to live. These gestures and skills are intrinsically linked to a political dimension, to the creation of conditions for "living together".

The aim of this symposium is to explore in greater depth the avenues opened up by the multidisciplinary studies that have highlighted these principles. The aim is to highlight the importance, indeed the necessity, of care in our ways of living in the world (in relation to oneself, to others, to the environment, etc.).

Four areas of study are envisaged:

• Ecology of the mind: what role can care play in the perspective of an ecology of the mind based on knowledge of how consciousness functions? How can care enable us to cultivate what is worthy of value for life, and thus strengthen the meaning that beings give to their experience of the world?
• Education: How can an education in care lead 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 can be gained by integrating care theories into planning practices?
• Artistic practices (literature, art, cinema): How does artistic creation contribute to the emergence of an ethic of care?

Find out more:

• Download the program in PDF format
• Website
• Register by e-mail

Contacts :

• Angela Biancofiore Professor, LLACS team, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 - E-mail
• Clément Barniaudy, Senior Lecturer, LIRDEF team, University of Montpellier - E-mail