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DOI: 10.1177/0894318405274812
2005 18: 117 Nurs Sci Q
Sandra Schmidt Bunkers
A Community of Scholars: What Is It?

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What is This?

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by Alonso Pelayo on October 18, 2014 nsq.sagepub.com Downloaded from by Alonso Pelayo on October 18, 2014 nsq.sagepub.com Downloaded from
10.1177/0894318405274812
ARTICLE
Teaching-Learning Processes Nursing Science Quarterly , 18:2, April 2005
Teaching-Learning Processes Sandra Schmidt Bunkers, Contributing Editor
A Community of Scholars: What Is It?
Sandra Schmidt Bunkers, RN; PhD; FAAN
Professor of Nursing, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota
This column addresses the question, What is a community of scholars? This question is explored through the writ-
ings of authors about geniuslooking at such geniuses as Plato, Mahatma Ghandi, Queen Elizabeth I, and Christo-
pher Columbus. The question is also explored through the writings of present day nurse scholars and their meanings
of community of scholars.
What is a community of scholars? Philosopher Saul
(2004) in his book On Equilibrium wrote that the difference
between human beings and others is our ability to consider
(p. 3). He suggested that our ability to consider means that to
some extent we have the ability to shape events rather than be
shaped. The operative word here is ability. We may or may
not use it (Saul, p. 3). Is it with a community of scholars that
we sharpen this ability to consider? Is this where we learn to
share ideas and shape dreams? Is it with a community of
scholars that we seek truth? Is it with a community of scholars
that we coshape our genius? Saul wrote about human genius
suggesting that the human has qualities that are shared with
other humans. He identified these qualities as Common
Sense, Ethics, Imagination, Intuition, Memory and Reason
(Saul, p. 13). The book devotes one chapter to each of these
qualities and Saul suggested that these qualities do not exist in
isolation, but each takes its meaning from the othersfrom
the tension in which they exist with each other (p. 13). Saul
suggested that much of what we believe to be true today will
seem ridiculous in a few months (p. 17). Saul quoted the
Estonian poet Kaplinski who wrote, Truth is that which
breathes, and allows others to breathe (p. 17). Saul asked the
following question concerning Kaplinskis quote:
What does he mean? Perhaps that the push and pull of ten-
sions between our qualities produce a form of truth. Nothing
linear or absolute. At its most modest this tension repre-
sents a search for error and not for truth. At its best a formof
consciousness. That when we walk we know that we are
walking, when we stand we know that we are standing. It is
that consciousness that permits a form of progress. (p. 17)
Perhaps a community of scholars cocreates this breath of
fresh air surfacing truth in the moment. Perhaps this truth in
the moment can be viewed as a community of scholars prog-
ress. What else is there?
In contemplating this idea of a community of scholars I re-
call Gelb (2002), a renowned innovator in creative thinking,
who suggested in Discover Your Genius that each person is
born with the potential for genius (p. 1). He suggested that
individuals must select role models that help them to realize
their potential. In a world that drives us down toward a low-
est common denominator of taste, thought, and feeling, we all
need all the help we can get in manifesting the best in our-
selves (Gelb, p. 3). I believe that it may be within a commu-
nity of scholars that we find the role model or role models that
help us to bring out the best in ourselves. Gelb identified 10
geniuses whose success can partly be attributed to their intu-
itive understanding of how to learn and how to passionately
focus on an endeavor to bring out the best in themselves.
These geniuses include Plato, Brunelleschi, Columbus, Co-
pernicus, Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Jefferson, Darwin,
Gandhi, and Einstein.
Plato had a love of wisdom and whenever one wonders
about the essence of things, you are expressing the influence
of Plato (Gelb, 2002, p. 8). Plato, who is addressed as the fa-
ther of philosophy, established a community of scholars when
he created the Academy, the first university in the Western
world (Gelb, p. 33).
Brunelleschi, who was the architect of the dome of Flor-
ences cathedral engineered the structural embodiment of
the shift of consciousness that we now call the Renais-
sance . . . . Brunelleschis genius can help you broaden your
perspective (Gelb, 2002, p. 9). Brunelleschis community of
scholars were such Renaissance men as Michelangelo and
Leonardo da Vinci who studied after him and modeled his
work (Gelb).
Columbus navigated through unknown waters. Gelb
(2002) pointed out the following:
Editors Note: Submit notions for exploration in relation to teaching-
learning in nursing to Sandra Schmidt Bunkers, RN, PhD, FAAN;
1119 Plum Creek Road, Sioux Falls, SD 57105; phone: (605) 335-
0828; E-mail: tsbunkers@sio.midco.net
Nursing Science Quarterly, Vol. 18 No. 2, April 2005, 117-119
DOI: 10.1177/0894318405274812
2005 Sage Publications
Keywords: adaptation model, community of scholars, hu-
man becoming theory, Parse, Roy, scholar-practitioners
by Alonso Pelayo on October 18, 2014 nsq.sagepub.com Downloaded from
In a time when most explorers sailed parallel to the coastline
in their expeditions, hugging the land as closely as possible,
Columbus set out at a direct angle to the shore, straight out
into the unknown, with results we all know well. (p. 9)
Columbus led us to shores we never even imagined. Colum-
bus community of scholars included those in power in Spain
that converted to his compelling vision . . . including Isabelle
of Castile (Gelb, p. 95).
Copernicus had a genius for conceptualizing a radically
different universe (Gelb, 2002, p. 10). He was the founding
father of astronomy and his community of scholars included
Kepler and Galileo who worked equally hard to bring his
ideas into the mainstream (Gelb, p. 121).
Queen Elizabeth I of England contributed to the expansion
of womens rights and power . . . . Elizabeth is a reminder to
us all of how to use our power wisely (Gelb, 2002, p. 11).
Elizabeths community of scholars was fostered by her abil-
ity to cultivate and maintain a vast network of personal rela-
tionships (Gelb, p. 150). Gelb suggested that, The energies
unleashed by her reign allowed the arts to flourish and led to
the foundation of the British Empire (p. 154).
Shakespeare in his works captures, as no one has done be-
fore or since, the broad spectrum of human experience and
self-awareness, articulating elements of the psyche in a man-
ner that is both universal and eternal (Gelb, 2002, p. 11). His
community of scholars seems universal and for all times.
Even the father of the scientific study of emotions, Sigmund
Freud, acknowledged his debt to Shakespeare, fromwhomhe
drew many of his case histories (Gelb, p. 178).
Jefferson models the power of an educated person and in-
spires us to fulfill our potential and celebrate our freedom
(Gelb, 2002, p. 12). Thomas Jeffersons community of schol-
ars included the Founding Fathers such as George Washing-
ton, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. These were the
signers of the Declaration of Independence. And, although
Jefferson reigns as a most prominent and enduring influence
from this period, his achievements took place in a ferment
of freedom brewed by his revolutionary brethren (Gelb,
p. 212).
Darwin formulated the theory of evolution. His is a mar-
velous example of the open mind, the consciousness that em-
braces change and creates the future (Gelb, 2002, p. 12).
Darwin was greatly influenced by Thomas Malthus, an aca-
demic at Cambridge University. His ideas influenced the
conclusions Darwin drew from his own observations and
contributed to his belief in natural selection (Gelb, p. 247).
Darwin became the worlds leading biologist and his commu-
nity of scholars includes all of those confronting the issues
surrounding human evolution.
Gandhi and his example of moral persuasion through
nonviolent protest influenced the human rights movements
led by Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, His Holiness the
Dalai Lama, and many others (Gelb, 2002, p. 13). Gandhis
community of scholars defies time. They are part of history.
One quote from Gandhi that influences many today is this,
We must be the change we wish to see in the world (Gandhi,
as cited in Gelb, p. 275).
Einstein and his theory of relativity was called by the
president of Britains Royal Society one of the greatest
perhaps the greatestof achievement in the history of human
thought (Gelb, 2002, p. 14). In fact, Einstein maintained
that the secret of his genius was his ability to look at problems
in a childlike, imaginative way. He called it combinatory
play (Gelb, p. 14). Einsteins community of scholars is inter-
national. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in
1922 (Gelb, p. 324).
As Gelbs (2002) book uncovered, none of these genuises
were in it alone. They built on the thinking of others and the
influences of history. They built on the work of a community
of scholars that had gone before them. The most advanced,
creative, and original thinking is always a product of historical
context and the influences of previous geniuses (Gelb, p. 7).
Is the conception of a community of scholars linked to this
universal process of creative genuis? As I ponder the writings
of Saul (2004) and Gelb (2002), I remember my own journey
during my doctoral education and the struggle and joy of
striving to create with others new knowledge.
The Elmhurst Group
What is a community of scholars? As I continue to ponder
this question I think back to my days as a full-time doctoral
student at Loyola University in Chicago. I was fortunate to be
able to leave my work and immerse myself in full-time doc-
toral study. And, I was fortunate to find others in the Chicago
area that wanted to engage in serious conversation about the
state of nursing knowledge. I remember the day I went to my
first philosophy course; it was on feminist philosophy. As I
sat in the hall waiting for the roomto open another woman ap-
proached the area. We met. She was a doctoral student in
nursing. From that time on we became colleagues in our
search for meaning and understanding. We presented a book
in the philosophy course entitled, Gyn/Ecology, written by
Daly (1978). The book focused on ideas of radial feminism
and focused on the treatment of womens health issues
through the centuries. To this day I smile when I think about
what we learned and what discussion was generated in the
class (many in the class were Jesuit priests or those studying
for the priesthood). These students wanted to know much
about womens issues and the class, I believe, was a commu-
nity of scholars focusing on a search for a truth in the situa-
tion. Gyn/Ecology was a book that posed many questions con-
cerning the treatment of women. There were so many things
we had not heard of that were written in this text. What was
most important is that we asked the question: How come we
didnt know this before? I believe a community of scholars
searches to answer such questions: How come we did not
knowthis before? What else do we need to know? And, what is
the meaning of this new knowledge? The experience in this
course surfaced in my colleague and myself as a desire to find
118 Nursing Science Quarterly, 18:2, April 2005
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a group to dialogue with concerning the many ideas we were
being exposed to and the new learning we were engaged in
with our doctoral studies. This desire for dialogue was also
expressed by other doctoral students in nursing. Soon a group
of six to eight doctoral students in nursing started meeting af-
ter classes at one of the students homes. Her home was beau-
tiful. It was a remodeled older home in the Elmhurst area of
Chicago. In this home wood was everywhere, complemented
by a brick fireplace that was warmand inviting and a wonder-
fully comfortable kitchen family-room dining area. Here,
along with a bright burning fire in winter, is where we began
our dialogues concerning philosophy, human science, natural
science, nursing theories, and the differing paradigms in
nursing and in research. It was an arduous task. But, with a lit-
tle sustenance brought in by husbands and friends, our task
seemed surmountable. We ate together and together exposed
our thoughts, questions, and difficulties concerning our doc-
toral education. We met monthly. It was fun and it was diffi-
cult. One thing that emerged from our gatherings is that the
monthly meetings influenced classroom discussion. Soon,
we started to invite faculty to come dialogue with us, and we
invited nurse theorists who were in the area to come to this
home and have conversations about theory and its relevance
to nursing. We became a community of scholars.
Years have passed since the Elmhurst group, but I credit
the experience of the Elmhurst group with providing me with
a model for building a community of scholars today. One par-
ticular community of scholars that I am part of today is the
Sioux Falls Chapter of the International Consortium of Parse
Scholars. We study together, participate in research projects
together, and with others in the group I have cocreated several
human becoming guided nursing models. I have learned that
it is through such dialogue and support that we gain insight
and understanding into questions of science in our discipline.
Fromthis understanding we are able to expand what we know
through artful creative works.
These are my personal reflections on the question: What is
a community of scholars? I have asked other nurse scholars
who are actively involved in the development and dissemina-
tion of nursing knowledge to also share their insights on what
they believe a community of scholars to be in nursing. Nurse
scholars sharing their insights include: Dr. Rosemarie Rizzo
Parse, Dr. Mary Ferguson-Par, Diana Vander Woude, and
Dr. Callista Roy.
References
Daly, M. (1978). Gyn/Ecology: The metaethics of radical feminism.
Boston: Beacon Press.
Gelb, M. (2002). Discover your genius. New York: HarperCollins
Publishers.
Saul, J. (2004). On equilibrium: Six qualities of the new humanism.
New York: Four Walls Eight Windows.
Community of Scholars
Rosemarie Rizzo Parse, RN; PhD; FAAN
Professor and Niehoff Chair, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
In specifying the meaning of the construct community of
scholars it is important to define the terms community and
scholar. Community is a oneness of human-universe
connectedness incarnating beliefs and values (Parse, 2003,
p. 1). The beliefs and values are the moorings by which a
community is known. The term scholar comes from the Old
English scolere, and it refers to students or learned persons
with profound knowledge of a particular subject or school of
thought. Scholars are those persons who devote time and en-
ergy to scientific and artful inquiry. Acommunity of scholars,
then, is the interconnectedness of those with strong moorings
in a similar belief system who forge the knowledge develop-
ment of a school of thought through artful-sciencing. With
artful-sciencing the community of scholars shapes a unique
path of inquiry for which it is recognized.
Essential features of a community of scholars include the
following: a knowledge vision, a spirit of collegiality, and a
persistent pattern of critical contemplation. A knowledge vi-
sion is the focus of scholarly activity for the community. The
intent of the scholars is to uncover and expand the known and
yet-to-be known of the knowledge vision. A spirit of collegi-
ality is lived through celebrating the talents of the scholars of
the community. Celebration of seasoned and budding schol-
ars arises with the time and energy offered in bearing witness
to the challenges and honoring the triumphs of those living
the knowledge vision in research, practice, education, and ad-
ministration. Apersistent pattern of critical contemplation is
the ongoing appraisal of contributions by the scholars. Criti-
cal appraisal of scholarly works regarding a knowledge vi-
sion further specifies the art-sciencing process and expands
the school of thought. Communities of scholars gather in var-
ious venues to explore avenues for the advancement of a par-
ticular perspective, to share and disseminate research
findings, and to create ways to fortify a knowledge vision.
These gatherings are essential to knowledge development.
Reference
Parse, R. R. (2003). Community: A human becoming perspective.
Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Teaching-Learning Processes 119
Nursing Science Quarterly, Vol. 18 No. 2, April 2005, 119
DOI: 10.1177/0894318405275862
2005 Sage Publications
by Alonso Pelayo on October 18, 2014 nsq.sagepub.com Downloaded from