Taijiquan the “Taiji World” Way: Towards a Cosmopolitan Vision of Ecology

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Author
Brown, David
Jennings, George
Sparkes, Andrew
Date
2014-07-28Acceptance date
2014-07-21
Type
Article
Publisher
MDPI
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
In this article, we present a case study analysis of data gathered on the practice of the art of Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) in one UK context. Our interest in looking at this physical culture was in exploring if/how physical cultures of shared embodied experience and practice may help “sow the seeds of environmental awareness”. In so doing, we illustrate certain affinities between this interpretation of the art and Beck’s idea of a “cosmopolitan vision of ecology”. We present an analysis of documentary and interview data of one English Taijiquan organisation and how it currently promotes the idea of interconnectedness, wellbeing and an alternative meta-narrative for living through the practice of Taijiquan. We conclude that, while further research is needed, there is evidence that a cosmopolitan vision for ecology is emerging in physical cultures such as Taijiquan.
Journal/conference proceeding
Societies;
Citation
Brown, D.H., Jennings, G. and Sparkes, A.C. (2014) 'Taijiquan the “Taiji World” way: Towards a cosmopolitan vision of ecology', Societies, 4(3), pp.380-398
Description
Article published open access in Societies on 28 July 2014 available via https://doi.org/10.3390/soc4030380
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