Pedagogy of Loneliness as Presented by Maria Łopatkowa

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the work of Maria Łopatkowa (1927–2016), a Polish pedagogue, the author of the trend – pedagogy of the heart. It is particularly focused on characterising the author’s contribution to the new subdiscipline of pedagogy – pedagogical monoseology (pedagogy of loneliness). The article consists of two main parts. The first presents a biographical outline of Maria Łopatkowa, referring in particular to her education, professional and scientific work, as well as her political and social activity. The second focuses on the author’s concept of loneliness. This issue is important and still relevant, because the problem of loneliness affects more and more people, including children and adolescents. It also poses a great challenge for educators, whose task is not only to diagnose this crisis, but also to undertake appropriate intervention and prevention. The article presents various types of loneliness identified by the author: child loneliness (in the family, nursery, kindergarten, school, hospital, orphan loneliness) and teacher loneliness. The author presents recommendations for minimising this state, as proposed by Łopatkowa, which may also
be an inspiration for contemporary educators.