From Strangeness to Acceptance: : Configurations of Otherness through Aesthetic Interactions in School

Abstract

This research aimed to understand how otherness is shaped in preschool children at a school in Cali, Colombia, through aesthetic interactions manifested in the school environment. Using a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach, four key categories were identified: strangeness, contemplation, exchange, and acceptance, along with two emerging categories: chaos-related otherness and the acceptance of care. The methodology included six months of direct observation, anecdotal records, and photographs. The findings reveal that initial strangeness evolves into contemplation, then into exchange, and ultimately culminates in acceptance, where individuality is recognized and valued. This process is cyclical and reflects the complexity of children´s relationships. Chaos-related otherness is evident in the disruptive presence of a child, initially causing unease. In contrast, the acceptance of care emerges as an active response, where children provide support and care to peers—not as mechanical acts but as spontaneous expressions of responsibility toward perceived vulnerability. The study emphasizes the importance of educational spaces that highlight aesthetic experiences promoting the formation of otherness through everyday interactions.