Interweaving voice and emotion as perceived by teachers from the point of view of merleau-ponty’s phenomenology

Abstract

Voice is an essential tool of the work of teachers, reflecting their health and emotional conditions. The aim of this study was to understand the perception of teachers about how voice and emotion are interwoven. This was a qualitative study using focus groups with 26 elementary school teachers. Data analysis was based on the phenomenology of perception proposed by Merleau-Ponty, guided by his notion of the body and the interweaving of man and world. The resulting categories were: “consequences of the job on the voice, the body and emotions” and “emotions in the body expressed through the voice”. Discussions showed the indissociability of the mind and body and the perception of the voice as a way of experiencing the body and emotions. The notion of the “own body”, which is complex and systemic, surpasses the organic-biological understanding of the body and helps expand debate about the vocal health of teachers.