Abstract
This essay describes the Jivaka Project, a pedagogical experiment undertaken at a public liberal arts college outside of Philadelphia. A multi-year ethnographic survey of Buddhist healthcare in the greater metropolitan area, this project has come to constitute a major part of my general education course on American Buddhism. As I argue, this project serves as a model for student-centered, engaged, and inclusive approaches to pedagogy. It is particularly notable for centering the intercultural competency of international and first-generation Asian American students. I discuss how this project was inspired by a bilingual Chinese American student; how it developed into a large-scale effort involving about a hundred students in ethnographic research in Philadelphia’s Asian American neighborhoods; how it was a transformational educational experience for a diverse group of participating students; and how in the process it pushed my pedagogy in a more relevant and personally fulfilling direction.
Highlights
Division of Arts & Humanities, Penn State University Abington College, Abington, PA 19001, USA; Abstract: This essay describes the Jivaka Project, a pedagogical experiment undertaken at a public liberal arts college outside of Philadelphia
A multi-year ethnographic survey of Buddhist healthcare in the greater metropolitan area, this project has come to constitute a major part of my general education course on American Buddhism
It is notable for centering the intercultural competency of international and first-generation Asian American students
Summary
I was trained as a historian of medicine, with particular focus on the translation and adaptation of Indian Buddhist healing practices in medieval China (third to tenth century CE). University’s Abington College, the only public liberal arts college in the greater Philadelphia. 30% of ourofstudent bodybody identifies as Asian Many these of students are international students, but a significant number come from. Have a well-articulated social mission, a high level facultyinterest interest in in meeting meeting the our socioeconomically, culturally, ofoffaculty the pedagogical pedagogicalneeds needsofof our socioeconomically, culturally, andlinguistically linguistically diverse body. 2012–2013 academic year, when a group of my students were working on a research poster exploring mindfulyear, when a group of my students were working on a research poster exploring mindfulness in the context of Buddhist approaches to health and healing. The interviews, conducted in Cantonese and translated by lated by the student, contributed a much-needed missing perspective to the research the student, contributed a much-needed missing perspective to the research poster
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