Ruhi Tyson. NORENSE-funding 2024: 50000 SEK.
Purpose and aim
In a recent review article discussing postcolonial perspectives on Waldorf education (Tyson 2023a) it became clear that several contentious areas regarding Waldorf education have been extensively discussed in various scholarly and semi-scholarly publications. This view was underscored by a pair of recent literature reviews regarding theoretical and empirical research on Waldorf education (Tyson 2023b, forthcoming). However, there are few literature reviews where these disparate articles, papers, books and dissertations are considered together, meaning there is a general lack of overview regarding arguments, conclusions, etc.
One of these areas where there is extensive and contentious discussion is the relationship between Waldorf education and anthroposophy. A significant amount of scholarly literature has been produced over the years regarding this matter (eg. Kiersch 2010, 2015; Schieren 2015; Tyson 2023c; to name just a few published in the journal Research on Steiner education). But a systematic review and evaluation has not been written. Given the contentious issue that this represents, a treatment of the subject, especially from an historical perspective examining the shifting ways in which this relationship has been conceived, is both warranted and important.
The purpose of this article-project is twofold. First to provide a systematic literature review of the scholarly and semi-scholarly literature discussing the issue. Second to look at how this discussion has evolved over time.
As the founder of the first Waldorf school, Emil Molt, remarked in the 1930s when defending the school against Nazi encroachment being an anthroposophist and a Waldorf teacher could not be separated (see eg. Barkved 2010, p.11). At the time this contributed to saving the schools from becoming collaborators with the regime. It is not given that the answer would be the same today. It is also not clear that the rhetoric regarding what anthroposophy is has remained the same.
The issue to be explored in this article is not what the answer should be regarding the relationship between anthroposophy and Waldorf education but rather what the answer has become over time as it is reflected in writing. What do Waldorf educators and scholars themselves say about this?
An important contribution that this study could provide is to demonstrate the different perspectives that have been brought to the question over the years. As such it would serve as an especially powerful case-study of the variations in conceptual understanding that exists within Waldorf education. That there are rich variations across practice should be clear (cf. eg. Tyson 2021). If there is similar variation across theory seems less explored and critics such as Ullrich (2015) and Prange (2000) generally assume that there is little internal difference in perspective among Waldorf educators. Demonstrating variations in the way the relationship between anthroposophy and Waldorf education has been conceived would contribute to situating Waldorf education in a more realistic and plural context. It would also contribute to self-reflection within the Waldorf educational community where the theme of how anthroposophy relates to Waldorf education is central to its identity.
Field of research
This proposal is for a comparative study of texts. As such, it straddles the area between theoretical and empirical research. The texts are, in a sense, empirical data, but their topic is decidedly theoretical.
Research questions and design
As stated above, the aim is twofold: to provide a literature review and to look at how the discussion has evolved over time.
As a comparative literature study, the design is relatively straightforward and similar to that of the previous study on postcolonial perspectives on Waldorf education (Tyson 2023a). A systematic search for books and articles discussing Waldorf education and anthroposophy will be conducted and a comparative, explorative, reading done. The categories and themes that emerge will be based on that reading. If the volume of texts proves to be too large, a sampling or narrowing of some kind will have to be done.
Given that the texts to be discussed are not empirical the comparative analysis will be different than in the previous article (Tyson 2023a). As stated above the aim here is to provide an overview of how this theme is discussed in Waldorf contexts, which arguments are brought forth and if there are any tensions, changes, variations and the like that emerge from such an overview. This can then be brought into a more critical concluding reflection.