Gabriel Fernandez-Borsot
Alumnus
Transformative Studies, Ph.D.
Professor
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Barcelona, Spain
The Transformative Studies program was transformative in many ways. First, it helped me a lot as a scholar by giving me tools and setting a high standard. Second, it guided through a process of self-reflection and self-clarification. Third, once clarified, it helped me pursue my interests combining rigor and passion, in a process which involved increasing self-knowledge while acquiAring academic expertise. The program was the key factor in the process of changing my professional profile from the IT industry to academic philosophy and social sciences. Nowadays I am developing my career as a professor of philosophy and the Transformative Studies program was undoubtedly a crucial boost in my path.
A Theoretical Analysis of Integral Theory and the Participatory Paradigm Through the Lens of Otherness
In my dissertation I developed a critical perspective of analysis based on the construct of otherness, which I termed "The Lens of Otherness" (LoO). I provided theoretical foundation for it and developed a method of application. After having established the LoO I applied it to the two main theoretical orientations in transpersonal studies (the participatory paradigm and the integral theory), to detect flaws and problematic aspects of both.
