dear Wendy, dear all(*)! > Has anyone had success with ways to work within complex projects that can open up fixed positions and enable transformative change? We could start by agreeing that any effective intervention must be time and place based, with the process and actions being chosen by those involved and affected. < One phenomena is complex when it can not be assessed from one perspective alone but different perspectives are present; the problem is that these are incommensurable in scope (integral domains of the observed phenomena) and in scales (micro/meso/macro assessment). Micro scale describes reality, macro scale describes the system main characteristics, while meso perspective connects micro and macro in an un-exclusive way (more on this, meso-matrical approach can be found here, http://ssrn.com/abstract=1122723, work in progress, comments welcome; two practical application: twice for the purpose of the strategic impact assessment of sustainable development (DG-Region) and territorial cohesion (ESPON); the same meso-matrical approach has been experimentally applied to derive a procedure and typology for synthesis of anti-systemic movements with the matrical organisation of 'social forums' (paper submitted). Back to your question - one of the important fixed positions is mesoscopic origin for the assessment of complex social phenomena; does it make any sense to you? Concerning dilemma on transformative and other types of change - do you propose that when transformative change takes place, the day after is irreversibly different then the day before? If so, I think that a concept of 'emergence' (behaviour, processes; see post by Elizabeth King) and in particular 'strong emergence' (Bar-Yam, New England Complex Systems Institute) clarifies a lot; I would be happy to provide sources. sonce, bojan
(*)(this is my first post, cv details can be found in the paper) ---------------------------------------------- Od: [EMAIL PROTECTED] v imenu Gregory, Wendy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Poslano: 17. september 2008 3:59 Za: IntSci@learningforsustainability.net Zadeva: [IntSci] Transformative change Hi all, I've been corresponding with Val Brown about an issue we have both been grappling with and we have a question (well, two really!) that we would like to ask of the IntSci group: Has anyone had success with ways to work within complex projects that can open up fixed positions and enable transformative change? We would like to start a dialogue on ways and means to effect transformative change. We could start by agreeing that any effective intervention must be time and place based, with the process and actions being chosen by those involved and affected. What we are looking for is contributions to the set of processes already in use which are structured and disciplined - i.e., they have already been trialled in a number of contexts and been found to be useful in helping people explore the contexts and consequences of the situations they are trying to deal with. (And here's the second question ;-)): Would it be useful to others in the mailing list if we get to hear about some examples of how different people have used different processes for exploring and re-framing issues and going on achieve transformative action? Thanks, Wendy _______________________________________________ IntSci mailing list IntSci@learningforsustainability.net http://mail.learningforsustainability.net/mailman/listinfo/intsci_learningforsustainability.net
