A Scandinavian View on the Aesthetics as a Learning Media

Bennyé D. Austring¹, Merete Sørensen² 
(1. Department of Research and Development, University College Sjælland (Sealand), Denmark;
2. Department of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark)

Abstract: As the aesthetic learning process is always relational and developed in interaction with the surrounding culture, the participants in the aesthetic activities can develop cultural identity and social skills. Add to this that the individual can share its inner world with others through aesthetic activities in the potential space and in this way create balance between its inner and outer world, realize itself and develop individual and collective identity. Last but not least aesthetic activities strengthen the joy of life, and they are an arena for development of imagination and creativity — society’s most important resources.

The two Danish authors argue for this point of view based on a triangle of psychological, philosophical and social scientifically approaches provided through the last two decades of Scandinavian research in particular. First and foremost they refer to the Norwegian social scientist Hansjörg Hohr’s three learning methods, among these the Aesthetic Learning Method, but also to the English psychologist Donald W. Winnicott’s theory of the Potential Space and the Danish philosopher Mogens Pahuus’ concept of “being in tune”. On this background the authors sum up the potentials of art education and finally offer a new definition of an aesthetic learning process.

Key words: Aesthetics, art based education, learning processes