Deathworlds to Lifeworlds

Deathworlds to Lifeworlds

by Valerie Malhotra Bentz, James Marlatt
Released August 2021
Publisher(s): De Gruyter
ISBN: 9783110691863

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Book description

Deathworlds are places on planet earth that can no longer sustain life. These are increasing rapidly. We experience remnants of Deathworlds within our Lifeworlds (for example traumatic echoes of war, genocide, oppression). Many practices and policies, directly or indirectly, are "Deathworld-Making." They undermine Lifeworlds contributing to community decline, illnesses, climate change, and species extinction. This book highlights the ways in which writing about and sharing meaningful experiences may lead to social and environmental justice practices, decreasing Deathworld-Making. Phenomenology is a method which reveals the connection between personal suffering and the suffering of the planet earth and all its creatures. Sharing can lead to collaborative relationships among strangers for social and environmental justice across barriers of culture, politics, and language.

"Deathworlds into Lifeworlds　wakes people up to how current economic and social forces are destroying life and communities on our planet, as I　have mapped in my work.　The chapters by scholars around the world in this　powerful book testify to the pervasive　consequences of the proliferation of Deathworld-making and ways that collaboration across cultures can help move us forward."

—Saskia Sassen is the Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University and a Member of its Committee on Global Thought.

"Recognizing the inseparability of experience, consciousness, environment and problematics in rebalancing life systems, this book offers solutions from around the world."

—Four Arrows, aka Don Trent Jacobs, author of Sitting Bull's Words for A World in Crises, et al.

"This unique book brings together 78 participants from 11 countries to reveal the ways in which phenomenology –　the study of consciousness and phenomena — can lead to profound personal and social transformation.　 Such transformation is especially powerful when "Deathworlds" – physical or cultural places that no longer sustain life – are transformed into "lifeworlds" through collaborative sharing, even when (or, perhaps, especially when) the sharing is among strangers across different cultures. The contributors share a truly wide range of human experiences, from the death of a child to ecological destruction, in offering ways to affirm life in the face of what may seem to be hopeless death-affirming challenges."

—Richard P. Appelbaum, Ph.D., is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus and former MacArthur Foundation Chair in Global and International Studies and Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is also a founding Professor at Fielding Graduate University, where he heads the doctoral concentration in Sustainability Leadership.

"Deathworlds is a love letter for the planet—our home. By documenting places that no longer sustain life, the authors collectively pull back the curtain on these places, rendering them meaningful by connecting what ails us with what ails the world."

—Katrina S. Rogers, Ph.D., conservation activist and author

"Deathworlds to Lifeworlds represents collaboration among Fielding Graduate University, the University of Łodź (Poland), and the University of the Virgin Islands. Students and faculty from these universities participated in seminars on transformative phenomenology and developed rich phenomenologically based narratives of their experiences or others’. These phenomenological protocol narratives creatively modify and integrate with everyday experience the conceptual frameworks of Husserl, Schutz, Heidegger, Habermas, and others. The diverse protocol authors demonstrate how phenomenological reflection is transformative first by revealing how Deathworlds, which lead to physical, mental, social, or ecological decline, imperil invaluable lifeworlds. Deathworlds appear on lifeworld fringes, such as extra-urban trash landfills, where unnoticed impoverished workers labor to the destruction of their own health. Poignant protocol-narratives highlight the plight and noble struggle of homeless people, the mother of a dying 19-year-old son, persons inclined to suicide, overwhelmed first responders, alcoholics who through inspiration achieve sobriety, unravelled We-Relationships, those suffering from and overcoming addiction or misogynist stereotypes or excessive pressures, veterans distraught after combat, a military mother, those in liminal situations, and oppressed indigenous peoples who still make available their liberating spirituality. Transformative phenomenology exemplifies that generous responsiveness to the ethical summons to solidarity to which Levinas’s Other invites us."

—Michael Barber, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, St. Louis University. He has authored seven books and more than 80 articles in the general area of phenomenology and the social world. He is editor of　Schützian Research, an annual interdisciplinary journal.

"This book helps us notice the Deathworlds that surround us and advocates for their de-naturalization. Its central claim is that the ten virtues of the transformative phenomenologist allow us to do so by changing ourselves and the worlds we live in.

In this light, the book is an outstanding presentation of the international movement known as "transformative phenomenology." It makes groundbreaking contributions to a tradition in which some of the authors are considered the main referents. Also, it offers an innovative understanding of Alfred Schutz’s philosophy of the Lifeworld and a fruitful application of Van Manen’s method of written protocols."

—Carlos Belvedere, Ph.D., Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Buenos Aires"

"Moving beyond the social phenomenology carved out by Alfred Schütz, this impressive volume of action-based experiential research displays the efficacy of applying phenomenological protocols to explore Deathworlds, the tacit side of the foundational conception of Lifeworlds. Over twenty-one chapters, plus an epilogue, readers are transported by the train of Transformative Phenomenology, created during what’s been called the Silver Age of Phenomenology (1996 – present) at the Fielding Graduate University. An international amalgam of students and faculty from universities in Poland, the United States, the Virigin Islands, Canada, and socio-cultural locations throughout the world harnessed their collective energy to advance the practical call of phenomenology as a pathway to meaning-making through rich descriptions of lived experience. Topics include dwelling with strangers, dealing with trash, walking with the homeless, death of a young person, overcoming colonialism, precognition, environmental destruction, and so much more. The research collection enhances what counts as phenomenological inquiry, while remaining respectful of Edmund Husserl’s philosophical roots."

—David Rehorick, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of New Brunswick (Canada) & Professor Emeritus, Fielding Graduate University (U.S.A.), Vancouver, British Columbia.

Table of contents

  1. Acknowledgements
  2. Foreword
    1. References
  3. Part I: Lifeworlds in Deathworlds in Łódź, Poland
    1. Valerie Malhotra Bentz, James Marlatt Chapter 1 From Deathworlds to Lifeworlds Through Collaborative Transformative Phenomenology
      1. Introduction
      2. Transformative Phenomenology with Strangers
      3. Expanding the Meaning of Embodiment to Shared Somatic Practices
      4. What are Deathworlds?
      5. Challenges of Collaboration in Dominant Worldview
      6. The Roadmap Back
      7. The Chapters
    2. Krzysztof T. Konecki Chapter 2 Deathworld of the City of Łódź: Insider Experience
      1. Introduction
      2. From Krzystof Konecki: The City of Łódź, Insider Perspective
      3. Location of the Deathworld: Cycling to Work
      4. The Visual Representation and Interpretation of Lifeworld and Deathworld
      5. Insider Interpretation After Theoretical Contemplation
    3. Valerie Malhotra Bentz Chapter 3 Deathworld of the City of Łódź: Outsider Lived Experiences
      1. Outsider/Stranger’s Perspective – From One Deathworld to Another
      2. Schützian Types: Habitual and Characterological
      3. The Situation Provided an Epoché of My “Natural Attitude”
      4. The Deathworld of the City of Łódź as Seen from my Elderly Foreign Woman Professor Recovering from Pneumonia with Driving Trauma and PTSD State of Being
      5. The Kindness and Support of The Polish Colleagues
      6. Trip to Krzysztof’s Home Village: Stroniewice
      7. Desolation: Absence of Normal Taken-For-Granted
      8. Reflections on Deathworlds
      9. A Note on Learning What to See and What Not to See
    4. Anna Kacperczyk Chapter 4 Phenomenology of Trash
      1. Introduction: Litter Is Everywhere
      2. “No-Places”
      3. This is Not Just an Esthetical Problem
      4. Trash in Personal Experience
      5. Human Beings as Trash Creators
      6. The Essence of Trash
      7. Covers and Layers: The Way of Creating More Trash
      8. Trash on the Margins of Human Attention
      9. Lifeworlds of Trash
      10. Being Part of the Problem
    5. Natalia Martini Chapter 5 Walking with Homeless Persons in Kraków and Łódź
      1. To Walk, to Walk With, and to Walk Through …
      2. Walking Through the Lived Experience …
      3. … And Making Sense of It
    6. Łucja Lange Chapter 6 The Experience of Precognition
      1. Introduction
      2. Cultural Research on Precognitions
      3. Contemporary View on Precognitions
      4. Interviews with Others with Extrasensory Abilities
      5. Using Imaginative Variations with my Own Experiences
      6. Conclusions
    7. David Haddad, Łucja Lange Chapter 7 Personal Discovery and Transformation Through the Study of Lived-Experience
      1. Foreword: The Challenges of Collaboration Among Dominant World View Persons
      2. Łucja as Teaching Assistant in the Strangers to Collaborators Project
      3. Deathworlds to Lifeworlds: An Emerging Theory
      4. From Apprehension to Transformation
      5. Participant Contributions
      6. Conclusion: Many Cultures, One Humankind
  4. Part II: Experiences of Lifeworlds and Deathworlds
    1. David Haddad, James Marlatt Chapter 8 Restoring Lifeworlds Through Phenomenological Writing, Reflection and Collaboration
      1. Introduction
      2. Signs of Transformation
      3. Summary
    2. Carol Estrada Chapter 9 Be-ing with Dying: A Personal Experience with the Death of a Young Person
      1. Introduction
      2. Arriving at My Experience of Be-ing with Dying
      3. Introduction to Phenomenology
      4. Writing About My Lived-Experience
      5. Conclusion
    3. Tetyana Azarova Chapter 10 Inspiration in Times of Personal Challenge: A Mindful Inquiry
      1. Introduction
      2. Inspiration as a Transpersonal Phenomenon
      3. Individual Lifeworld and the Dominant Paradigm
      4. Inspired Lifeworld Versus Uninspired Lifeworld
      5. Eight Phenomenological Themes
      6. Summary
    4. Lorraine Crockford Chapter 11 The Deathworld of First Responders: Being a Stranger to Oneself
      1. The Role of Action
      2. Being A Hero and Being Helpless Creates Doubt
      3. Stranger to Oneself, One’s Family and One’s Colleagues
      4. When Untreated, Traumatic Experiences Lead to Transformation of Identity
      5. Conclusion
  5. Part III: Lifeworlds and Deathworlds in We-Relationships
    1. Whitney P. Strohmayr, David R. Jones Chapter 12 Grief and Unraveling in Romantic We-Relationships
      1. Grief and Unraveling in the Lifeworld of We-Relationships
      2. We-Relationships, Romantic Partnerships, and the Lifeworld
      3. Unraveling
      4. Unraveling in the Lifeworld of We-Relationships
      5. Entering the We-Relationship
      6. Unraveling from a Romantic We-Relationship: Whitney’s Story
      7. Grief and Unraveling: Davey’s Story
      8. Conclusion: Raveling Grief and Unraveling
    2. Lori Davidson, Jennifer Decker, Dagmara Tarasiuk Chapter 13 Overcoming Deathworlds of Addiction, Self-Injury, and Stress
      1. Introduction
      2. Lori’s Vantage Points
      3. Jennifer’s Vantage Points
      4. Dagmara’s Vantage Points
      5. Personal Power through Weightlifting: Fighting the Deathworld of Addiction
      6. The Pressure Phenomenon
      7. The Pressure to Conform: Women who Risk Injury and Death to Maintain Body Image Standards
      8. Connecting Worlds
    3. Michelle Elias, Darlene Cockayne Chapter 14 Military Wife and Mother: Lifeworlds and Deathworlds Surrounding Military Life
      1. Phenomenology and Phenomenological Writing
      2. Who is the Stranger? And Who is Not?
      3. The Warriors and the Families
      4. Non-Strangers
      5. Lifeworld
      6. Deathworld
      7. Darlene’s Story
      8. Michelle’s Story
      9. Collaboration: Transformation from Deathworld to Lifeworld
      10. Conclusion
    4. Barton Buechner, Ann Ritter, Rik Spann Chapter 15 Embracing Endless Liminality: Improvisation and the “Practical Mystic”
      1. Introduction
      2. Spann’s Story: Navigating Liminality
      3. Buechner’s Experience: Liminality and the Making (and Breaking) of Moral Code
      4. Liminality in the World – Emergence from a Century of Change
      5. The Phenomenology and Embodiment of the Lifeworld
      6. The (Mature) Self and Mystery
      7. On Engaging the Lifeworld as a Practical Mystic
      8. Conclusion
  6. Part IV: Deathworlds and the Indigenous
    1. Debra Irene Opland Chapter 16 Indigenous Worldview and the Vision of a Peace Educator
      1. My Ičhimani Wáȟwala, Journey to Peace
      2. On the Reservation (The “Rez”)
      3. Divided-Self Phenomenon
      4. Adopting Indigenous Worldview to Achieve Peace through Self-Understanding
      5. Unconditional Care of Each Becomes the Universal Cure for All
    2. Tsolmontuya Myagmarjav Chapter 17 Colonization of the Lifeworld of Sheepherder Communities of Mongolia
      1. From Lifeworld to Deathworld
    3. Małgorzata Burchard-Dziubińska Chapter 18 Deathworld Encroachments on the Amazon Rainforest
    4. Valerie C. Grossman Chapter 19 Sustaining Lifeworlds in the Face of Famine, Water Shortages, and Malaria
      1. Introduction
      2. Mautam
      3. Majuwa
      4. Malaria
      5. Summary Conclusion
  7. Part V: Transformative Phenomenology Practice
    1. Valerie Malhotra Bentz, David Rehorick, James Marlatt, Ayumi Nishii, Carol Estrada Chapter 20 Transformative Phenomenology as an Antidote to Technological Deathworlds
      1. Part I: From Lifeworlds to Deathworlds
      2. Part II: Transformative Phenomenology as an Antidote for Our Times
      3. Part III: The Surrey Experience – A Case for a Phenomenological Antidote
      4. Part IV: Social Learning – Transformative Phenomenology Communities-of-Practice as an Antidote to Deathworlds
      5. Epilogue
    2. James Marlatt, Valerie Malhotra Bentz Epilogue: The Essence of Collaborative Transformative Phenomenology
      1. The Transformative Potential of “Writing Phenomenology”
      2. What’s Next for Collaborative Transformative Phenomenology?
  8. About the Authors
  9. About the Editors
  10. Endorsements
  11. Index

Product information

  • Title: Deathworlds to Lifeworlds
  • Author(s): Valerie Malhotra Bentz, James Marlatt
  • Release date: August 2021
  • Publisher(s): De Gruyter
  • ISBN: 9783110691863