University of Portland Pilot Scholars Graduate Theses and Dissertations 2021 The Water In Which We Swim: The Influence of the Contemplative on Higher Education in American (Capitalist) Culture Namdrol Miranda Adams Follow this and additional works at: https://pilotscholars.up.edu/etd Part of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, and the Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons Recommended Citation Adams, Namdrol Miranda, "The Water In Which We Swim: The Influence of the Contemplative on Higher Education in American (Capitalist) Culture" (2021). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 97. https://pilotscholars.up.edu/etd/97 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Pilot Scholars. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Pilot Scholars. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Water In Which We Swim: The Influence of the Contemplative on Higher Education in American (Capitalist) Culture by Namdrol Miranda Adams A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Leading and Learning University of Portland School of Education 2021 The Water in Which We Swim: The Influence of the Contemplative on Higher Education in American (Capitalist) Culture by Namdrol Miranda Adams This dissertation is completed as a partial requirement for the Doctor of Education (EdD) degree at the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon. Approved: REDACTED ______ ______________________ _______________ Chairperson Date REDACT ______ ED __________________________ _______________ Committee Member Date REDACTE _______D _______________________ _______________ Committee Member Date If applicable: REDACTED ______ ________________ _______________ Additional Committee Member Date ________________________________________ _______________ Additional Committee Member Date Approved: REDACTED _____ _____________________ _______________ Graduate Program Director Date REDACTED ______ ____________________ _______________ Dean of the Unit Date REDACTED ______ ______________________ _______________ Dean of the Graduate School or Representative Date iii Abstract The 20th century brought about the development of an increased climate of capitalist influence on every aspect of American life, including and especially on higher education. Simultaneously, as more and more purposes of higher education have come to reflect values of capitalist culture, a movement towards new ways of teaching and learning has begun to emerge in the academy. These new ways of teaching and learning value relationship, introspection, and inquiry based on critical reflection. Many of them have their roots in the contemplative traditions of Asia. Guided by the framework of Paulo Freire and Parker Palmer's broad visions for the purpose of education, this multiple-case study, focused on six participants, explored the influence of traditionally trained Tibetan Buddhist teachers on American faculty members in American higher education. The study's findings illustrate this influence in the form of three major themes: Care For (Even Love) Your Students; Think Critically; and There Is Value in Authentic Voices from Other Traditions. This study informs practice for stakeholders in teaching and learning in higher education. Keywords: capitalist, contemplative, Tibetan Buddhist, caring, higher education, scholarship of teaching and learning, critical thinking, critical pedagogy iv Acknowledgements Like much in our world, this work is the result of a great and mostly joyful interdependence of the minds of many. I am honored to be a part it. Among all of those who played a role, a certain few arise for specific appreciation. Thank you to my committee members, Dr. Eric Anctil, Dr. Sally Hood, and Dr. Andrew Eshleman, for your brilliant observations, and for shaping this work with comments both astute and surprising along the way, helping me to see things from just a slightly different angle. And especially to Dr. Julie Kalnin, my committee chair, from whom I have learned so much: quietly, in the spaces between the words and conversations, and always with the greatest generosity. You are a skilled and thoughtful guide, and an inspiration. Thank you. And to Dr. Randy Hetherington, who, although not part of the committee for this work, started me off on the question that drove this research all those years ago today in my interview for the program at UP when he responded with great excitement and joy to my question, “What is the purpose of education, anyway?” Thank you to Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell, who from the beginning has been supportive of this path, and inspires me daily as an example of how to speak with reason, patience, and intelligence, while standing firmly in the ground of the heart. Thank you to Leigh and Tiffany, my sisters at Maitripa College, who hold me up whether they realize it or not, and to my students and to all students everywhere, for being the condition to inspire the genuine inquiry that necessarily precedes learning anything. v To my parents, for their unconditional love and support—I hope you can see a bit of yourselves in this, and in me, sometimes. And to my grandmother, Dr. Elizabeth Max, who was one of the first of her generation to earn a doctorate degree, and remains an inspiration. My deepest gratitude and love to Yangsi Rinpoche and Jigme, who fill my life with large and small doses of wisdom and compassion on a moment-to-moment basis, and who both inspired this project in so many ways. And to Alfredo, the love of my life, who is the earth that holds me steady through everything, and whose constancy and support has made it possible. And finally, to the study participants: I think I fell a little bit in love with all of you in the course of this year. Thank you for your generosity, your kindness, and for being among the first to stand at this intersection and move through it with grace and integrity for the benefit of all. vi Dedication For Jim, who knew this already. vii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... iv Dedication ........................................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ vii Chapter One: Introduction to the Study ............................................................................ 1 Intersections .................................................................................................................. 4 The Intersection of Critique and Possibility ............................................................... 11 Context and Culture .................................................................................................... 11 Context and Culture: Capitalism ............................................................................. 13 Context and Culture: Teaching as a Public Good (?) ............................................. 14 Context and Culture: The Movement Towards the Contemplative ........................ 15 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................... 16 The Research Question ............................................................................................... 17 Significance ................................................................................................................. 17 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 18 Paulo Freire and the Banking Model of Education ................................................. 18 Students and Faculty Turn Inward: Seeking Authenticity ...................................... 19 Praxis: Contemplative Pedagogy ................................................................................ 21 Praxis: Paulo Freire ..................................................................................................... 22 Scope of the Study ...................................................................................................... 23 Organization of the Study ........................................................................................... 25 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature .......................................................................... 26 Context and Critique ................................................................................................... 26 The Story of Education in America ........................................................................ 26 Tibetan Buddhist Education .................................................................................... 32 The Educational Climate of 20th Century America ............................................... 39 Tibetan Buddhism in American Society and Culture: Some Contributions to Knowledge ................................................................................... 43 Contemplative Practice and Mindfulness. .......................................................... 45 Equanimity. ......................................................................................................... 49 Critical