Love & Philosophy #51: Body Knowledge with philosophers Shay Welch and Elena Cuffari
Elena Clare Cuffari is a Professor at Franklin and Marshall College. Shay Welch is a professor at Spelman College in Atlanta. In this episode, they discuss embodied cognition and participatory sensemaking in relation to marginalized body epistemologies. They share insights from a recent conference that brought together diverse perspectives on how embodied cognition intersects with issues of race, gender, and activism. Welch emphasizes that she never separates her scholarship from her personal life, seeing philosophy as inherently connected to her lived experience. Cuffari highlights the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of her work with colleagues, which seeks to challenge traditional philosophical boundaries. They address the challenges of integrating marginalized voices into academic fields and the importance of recognizing the body's knowledge. The conversation also touches on the discomfort that arises in both academic and social contexts when established norms are challenged, and how this requires responsibility beyond blame.
00:00 Building a Community for Philosophical Dialogue
02:02 Introduction to Embodied Cognition and Participatory Sensemaking
02:22 Exploring Personal Philosophical Interests
04:11 Defining Embodied Cognition and Participatory Sensemaking
08:08 The Roots and Relevance of Embodied Cognition
15:14 Challenges in Academia and Marginalized Philosophies
28:51 The Concept of Normalcy in Philosophy and Society
37:17 Addressing Misunderstandings in Philosophy
39:34 Inclusivity and Change in Philosophy
43:18 Discomfort and Openness in Philosophical Inquiry
49:44 Marginalized Body Epistemologies
01:01:43 The Intersection of Philosophy and Personal Experience
01:05:57 Reflections on the Conference and Future Directions
Click to Substack page here for references and more.
Shay Welch: https://spelman.academia.edu/shaywelch
Read Rebecca Todd's post about Shay
Elena Cuffari: https://www.elenaclarecuffari.com/
Women in embodied Cognition: https://women-4e.com/
Oxford Handbook of 4E Cognition
What is Feminist Phenomenology?
The Phenomenology of a Performative Knowledge System: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-04936-2#bibliographic-information
Linguistic Bodies: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547864/linguistic-bodies/
The quote Shay reads is chapter 8 of this book:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oppression-and-the-body-christine-caldwell/1126641713
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