Politicising the Epokhé: Bernard Stiegler and the Politics of Epochal Suspension

For Husserl, the phenomenological epoché is primarily methodological, allowing access to the structures of transcendental consciousness by way of suspending worldly influence. This chapter will demonstrate how this methodological principle is rethought as political in the work of Bernard Stiegler. For Stiegler the epokhé is both the suspension of existing social systems, and a moment of critical redoubling, where the source of disruption is integrated into a new ‘epoch’. In particular it will be shown how Stiegler develops this double understanding of the epokhé through his reading of retentionality as found in the lectures On the Consciousness of Internal Time to develop an understanding of the epochal framing of temporality by technics. By drawing connections between this version of retentionality and the pharmacological character of technics, as simultaneously poisonous and curative, the political stakes of the epokhé lie in the need to fight the poisonous aspects of epochal suspension

Developing professional identity in health professional students

Professional identity formation is a relatively new area of interest within health professional education, gaining academic attention after the Carnegie Foundation Report on Medical Education of 2010 called for its introduction into medical curricula in the United States. This chapter presents a critical discussion, introducing various schools of thought, and provides theoretically informed suggestions for practice. The authors explore both conventional identity formation and more complex modern reconfigurations of healthcare professional identity. The chapter starts with an overview of different stances on what professional identity means, drawing on a variety of literatures including sociological and organizational scholarship. Next, a range of theories of identity formation are presented, including socialization and transformation. A matrix model is introduced to inform curricular planning, which can be used flexibly within different institutions or contexts. The authors discuss and critique a number of focused strategies for educators including role modeling, mentoring, reflective practice, responding to the hidden curriculum, authentic role experiences and simulation-based education, communities of practice and activity theory, student engagement, and assessment practices. The chapter concludes with possible future directions in healthcare professional identity education. Kathleen Leedham-Green is a research fellow in the Medical Education Research Unit at Imperial College London with interests in the social and behavioral aspects of clinical practice as well as healthcare innovation and quality. Alec Knight is a postdoctoral researcher and educator at King’s College London with interests in health services research, applied psychology, medical education, public health, health policy, and implementation science. Rick Iedema is professor and director of the Centre for Team-Based Practice and Learning in Health Care at King’s College London