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The (Self-)Educational Potential of the Epistolary Relationship
Artur Fabiś
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5624-6232Arkadiusz Wąsiński
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1867-8541Andragogical Perspective
Abstract
Traditional letters are becoming less and less common in everyday life. However, they remain an important document for research analysis. From a social science perspective, letters can also be seen as a space for meeting and learning. The objective of this article is to present the letter as a form of narrative, which, by bringing together various entities around the message it contains, creates a space for learning through the epistolary relationship between the author of the letter (the sender) and its addressee (the recipient). A tripartite classification of epistolary relations has been proposed, delineating three distinct levels. Three levels of epistolary relations have been distinguished, which become a unique opportunity for all parties involved to experience the presence of another person who opens up a world of personal meanings to the interlocutor (recipient), which is expressed in a reflective reference to aspects of reality considered important. In this context, epistolary relations are a kind of invitation to engage in intellectually deep learning from others and from oneself. Two forms of relationship between the researcher of epistolary narratives and the author(s) of the letter or correspondence are of particular importance. The first of these is present in a research project in which the author of the letter actively participates (ante factum), while the second occurs when the author of the letter does not participate in the project, but his or her previously created epistles are used for analysis (post factum). Engagement in epistolary relationships provides an opportunity for self-discovery through the process of writing, reading, and analysing letters. The work exhibits an inherent auto-creative significance. The concept under discussion is predicated on the possibility of discovering oneself in the perspective of experiencing the presence of another person – in an epistolary relationship.
Keywords:
letter, epistolary relationship, learning, narrative, narrative learning, self-creationMost read articles by the same author(s)
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