Biosocial Beginnings
Photo: ©FotoVrolijk
‘Zafirah and Zvakki sniffing Biljana’s head.’
Professor Biljana C. Frediriksen: Biljana is an Arts & Crafts-teacher, teaching students at early childhood teacher education programs at USN. Her research interests address experiential learning through explorations of materials from nature. Her doctoral study (2008-2011) uncovered the complexity of the process of meaning negotiation that takes place when a child (an adult human or another animal) gets involved in intra-actions with her/his environments in a holistic manner. The study also uncovered the biological predispositions to engage and merge with our surroundings; These biological predispositions that facilitate survival of the species are, indeed, aesthetic.
Biljana’s recent research addresses experiential learning in horses, donkeys and alpacas. What she has found contributes to a renewed understanding of the fundamental significance of the aesthetic approach to learning in more-than-humans. Additionally, her engagements with other-than-human co-researchers constantly challenge her to reflect about her own process of “biosocial becoming”, to deconstruct my human-centeredness and take more responsibility for ecological sustainability on the planet.