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Martin Buber's relational philosophy: the development of influence on communication education and humanistic education

Yocum, Karolyn Louise

Abstract Details

1980, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Human and Community Resource Development.

Educational research has not yet begun to definitively explain teacher effectiveness. According to educational theorists, there is no good social theory to explain how people in school create a social climate. Dunkin and Biddle, educational researchers, indicate that an integration of theories is needed to study teacher effectiveness. Because of their commonality, an integration of theories from education and communication seemed worthwhile toward this effort.

In education, humanistic critics have evaluated conditions in school and found them to be a negative influence on persons because in current practice too much stress is placed on cognitive skills and too little concern is placed on feelings. Critics assert that the effect school has on persons and their relations should be the central concern of education. In communication, researchers and teachers have been emphasizing that persons must meet their basic social needs and develop emotional maturity through learning better communication skills. To develop relationship skill has become the major objective of teachers of Interpersonal Communication. These two areas, humanistic education and communication education, have been influenced by the philosophy of Martin Buber. An understanding of Martin Buber’s dialogic theory is basic to understanding the relational emphasis in both these areas.

In order to study the extent of the influence of Martin Buber’s theory, the writer chose first to examine his life and works and explicate his theory. The influence of his theory was then traced to research and teaching in communication through the area of dialogical communication. Next was an examination of Buber’s influence on humanistic education. From the analysis and integration of dialogical communication and humanistic education, theoretical implications for teachers were developed. To demonstrate the practicality of the theory, which is demanded by most educators, several examples of implementation were summarized, including Buber’s own adult education program in Israel and two experimental classes by the writer in the laboratory school at Central Missouri State University.

The results of the study support the idea that Martin Buber’s relational theory did influence a relational focus in both humanistic education and communication education. The dialogical theories of Buber are basic to the teaching of Interpersonal Communication and the development of humanistic educational alternatives. Humanistic education was influenced more indirectly through Buber’s influence on Carl Rogers. Rogers followed Buber’s influence, but Buber did not totally agree with Rogers interpretations and practices. Buber’s theory was shown to suffer from oversimplification and reductionism on the part of some researchers and practitioners. Buber’s theory, however, has had positive and worthwhile results in its integration in both humanistic education and communication education. For educational research, the theory offers a starting point in the study of teacher effectiveness. The dialogic relationship undergrids all meaning, all knowledge, and all ways of knowing in the classroom. Buber was explicit that it is not a teaching technique or a method. It deals with the quality of human relationships.

While Buber’s theory was shown to be influential in the two areas of concern in this study, much more needs to be done to amplify what has been started and more implications need to be sought. What has been suggested by this study is that more could be known about teacher effectiveness if Buber’s dialogical criteria were used to analyze and evaluate the quality of teacher/student relationships.

George L. Lewis (Advisor)
166 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Yocum, K. L. (1980). Martin Buber's relational philosophy: the development of influence on communication education and humanistic education [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1389349752

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Yocum, Karolyn. Martin Buber's relational philosophy: the development of influence on communication education and humanistic education. 1980. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1389349752.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Yocum, Karolyn. "Martin Buber's relational philosophy: the development of influence on communication education and humanistic education." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 1980. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1389349752

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)