2018 Character Conference
March 1-2, 2018
Featuring a keynote speech by Brian Walsh, scholarly panels, and a gallery show. The panels engage the theme through topics in healthcare, vocation, psychology, art, sociology, communication, literature, philosophy, theology, anthropology, law, education, and linguistics.
The Wendt Character Initiative at the University of Dubuque will host an interdisciplinary conference to explore the interplay between home and the development of character, especially as it relates to justice, integrity, and compassion.
Moral formation takes place in a specific context. How do those contexts shape us, affect us? We’re interested in exploring through different lenses—different disciplines—things like the diversity of that formation, the ways specifics shape the kind of formation, and the ways that we can create contexts to better foster character that models integrity, justice, and compassion.
For example, when a community shapes its environment in ways that give precedence to the wealthy and ignore basic questions of justice when it comes to access to resources (be it food, clean water, health care or even information access), the resultant character formation affects all members of that community. Some grow callous to need and don’t live compassionately, justly, or with integrity. Some grow up with little sense of integrity, having experienced so much injustice. How might we change the environment or engage the particularities of context in ways that improve life?
Or consider the micro level—what kinds of homes tend to yield people of moral fiber? Is religion integral to raising up people of integrity? Does a home that regularly cares for others or does community service shape better children?
We hope you’ll join us so that together we discern best practices of character formation, both individually and communally.
