‘The body and the ear’: an aesthetic education approach for the international social work classroom under Erasmus+ blended intensive programmes

ABSTRACT

The new generation of Erasmus+ agreements offer funding for innovatively designed compact blended intensive programmes in which international students study abroad together in Europe. The heterogeneity of international social work curricula, coupled with the linguistic and cultural diversity of students, presents pedagogic challenges. Inspired by teaching on such a programme in Germany, this paper theoretically examines an ‘aesthetic education’ (arts-based) response to these challenges. The basis of this learning is heightening students’ perception of each other, their own bodies, and their embodied knowledge. Examining a music workshop and a tango workshop reveals pedagogies grounded in creative arts, and utilizing the different senses of hearing, movement, and touch. It is suggested that theoretically-founded teaching approaches utilizing non-verbal communication and learning can supplement the primarily verbal pedagogies more commonly used in the social work classroom. Investigating philosophical writings from Friedrich Schiller and sociological ideas from Hartmut Rosa, it is argued that playful interactions can lead to students deepening their understanding of bodily-based aspects of communication and thereby experiencing more resonant relations to one other. The skills and sensibilities acquired in such creative sessions have contemporary relevance, preparing the student social worker for communicative interaction with ‘the other’.

KEYWORDS:

• Blended intensive programme
• study abroad
• international classroom
• creative methods
• arts
• resonance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

M. Frampton

Magnus Frampton teaches social work and social pedagogy at the University of Vechta. He is interested in comparative social work and internationalisation in both social work and social work education. His publications include European and International Social Work (Beltz/Juventa, 2019) and Fachenglisch für die Soziale Arbeit, 2nd ed. (Beltz/Juventa, 2017).

G. A. Arlinghaus

Gertrud Arlinghaus is a pedagogue, systemic coach, psychodrama counsellor, and tango teacher. She is based at the University of Vechta. Her interests include education, counselling, social work practice methods and social care management. Her research focuses on the use of Argentinian tango as a medium in educational processes.

T. Hartogh

Theo Hartogh is Professor of Music Pedagogy at the University of Vechta. He publishes on music in social pedagogy and music geragogy. He is co-editor of the popular textbook Handbuch Musik in der Sozialen Arbeit and the book series Musikgeragogik. Since 2009 he has been the second chairperson of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Musikgeragogik.

U. Schiller

Ulene Schiller is an Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of the Faculty at the University of Fort Hare. She has held numerous positions in child protection organisations and in child and youth care centres. Her PhD is in forensic social work. Her community engagement initiatives ensure research findings are conversed back to communities to contribute to sustainable development.

J. Parker

Jonathan Parker is Professor of Society & Social Welfare at Bournemouth University and Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of Stavanger. He has published on disadvantage, marginalization, violence and education, social work and welfare. He is author of the best-selling book Social Work Practice (SAGE, 2021) and series editor for the highly successful Transforming Social Work Practice series (SAGE).