Yay! I finally get to pull out my mostly useless psych degree! :) I've often referred to coworking as "parallel play." Yes, the term is mostly used for 2-5 year olds but I think it hold true for coworkers too. Here's a link to the full entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_play but the hilites are:
"Parallel play is a form of play where children play adjacent to each other, but do not try to influence one another's behavior. Parallel play consists of play that is highly social and contains cooperative interaction." "An observer will notice that they occasionally see what the other is doing and then modify their play accordingly." -Angel On Mar 29, 8:13 am, Beth Buczynski <bethbo...@gmail.com> wrote: > Thanks to both Garth and Alex for discussing this here! Really > interesting. I empathize with the feeling of helplessness that results > when we see something significant happening, but don't knowwhat to > call it. It's great to know have a more concrete way to describe one > of the intangible "things" we see happening in spaces. > > Beth > > On Mar 28, 8:41 pm, Alex Hillman <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Reposted to my blog for non-list-readers and easier sharing (with some minor > > edits from the OP here), if anyone's interested. > > >http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2011/03/coworking-zones-of-proximal-dev... > > > -Alex > > > /ah > > indyhall.org > > coworking in philadelphia > > > On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 9:57 PM, Alex Hillman > > <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com>wrote: > > > > I've spent a good amount of the last year reading more articles and books > > > on psychology, sociology, and cognitive science for ideas and lessons to > > > apply to coworking...chiefly for the purpose of finding terms like this > > > that > > > could lead to more study of the context. It's so often that I observe a > > > pattern and the main thing keeping me from understanding it more is not > > > knowing what the pattern is called or means, so I can't look up a study or > > > research paper on it. Best I can do is write about it and hope somebody > > > posts about it. Interestingly enough, I think this concept is a > > > meta explanation of exactly that experience. Here's what I mean: > > > > A quick skim of the concept makes me think there's a lot of application > > > here. It also reinforces some of my theories that coworking is most > > > valuable > > > when it's not a room full of "likeminded people" doing the same thing > > > (startups, law, technology, creative, communication, writing, art, > > > business, > > > science, education, etc) but instead a room full of "likeminded people" > > > doing DIFFERENT things (startups, law, technology, creative, > > > communication, > > > writing, art, business, science, education, etc.). > > > > That is to say, especially as adults, we're less likely to learn from > > > peers > > > that are too similar. We spend too much time reinforcing each other's > > > existing habits and knowledge instead of creating space for new knowledge > > > to > > > be exchanged. That "space" isn't physical space like a coworking space, > > > but > > > conceptual space, like the "zone of proximal development". > > > > Essentially, *we share what we know*. *We don't share* what *we don't know > > > *. And *we don't know* what *we don't know*. > > > > Coworking, in its best forms, creates a zone where we're surrounded by > > > people who know what we don't know (and we know what they don't know) and > > > it > > > can be shared in loose contexts and formats that we're all increasingly > > > comfortable with. > > > > Cool shit. Thanks for sharing, Garth. > > > > -Alex > > > > /ah > > > indyhall.org > > > coworking in philadelphia > > > > On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 9:47 PM, Garth <garthfrizz...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > >> Hi all, > > > >> I spent Earth Hour chatting with an old buddy about his passion, > > >> psychology. When I told him what we're trying to achieve with > > >> coworking, he suggested I look up "zone of proximal development." Any > > >> of you have enough psych background to assess whether there is some > > >> value in reviewing the literature on that? Could it be applied to > > >> coworking? > > > >> curious, > > >> Garth. > > >> Two Rivers Business Centre > > > >> -- > > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > >> "Coworking" group. > > >> To post to this group, send email to coworking@googlegroups.com. > > >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > >> coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > > >> For more options, visit this group at > > >>http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to coworking@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en.
