Hi first I must apologise for sending 3 of the same message yesterday - there seem to be some hitches with the system, which I haven't quite got sorted yet. Hopefully you have received a message from Margaret and Marina - 2 people who have replied so far.
Marina, I too noticed a number of groups in the workshops on different ways of knowing grappling with what 'science' is. You also raise some good points that highlight how the body of knowledge known as "science" that emerges from the application of a particular set of principles and methods (science as methodology) may be privileged over other forms of knowledge. However I think there was more ... In some conversations I had it seemed to me that people did acknowledge other forms of knowledge (the stuff my grandmother taught me was something one group talked about) but didn't have the verbal tools to negotiate the complexity of valid knowledge. In some situations at least, perhaps because this was a conference about NZ science, it seemed to me that some people were using the word "science" as a kind of shorthand for knowledge that has some sort of legitimacy (or ... er .... truth!) because of the newness of the kinds of issues that they were grappling with. Cheers Chrys -----Original Message----- From: J Marina Apgar [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, 10 November 2008 12:55 p.m. To: Chrys Horn; intsci@learningforsustainability.net Subject: Re: [IntSci] Running Hot 2: Interconnection: NZ Science in the 21st century I enjoyed runninghot tremendously, thanks to the organisers, and I think it was mainly because of the broad range of participants all willing to engage in dialogue. I had many thoughts on many aspects of what has being discussed during the conference, but here is one that kept creeping up on me. The use of the term “science” was troublesome to me. I acknowledge that in multidisciplinary conversations use of language will always be a barrier, but my concern in this case came not from the barrier between disciplines but from the use of the term “science” suggesting that the practice of creating wise science or knowledge for sustainability as an academic endeavour to then be fed into the policy process and communicated to the public. Making new knowledge useful to society in facing sustainability is a question of wider social processes that must include non academic groups at all levels, it is about social learning, not simply applying the right new knowledge and using the right communication techniques to bring about behaviour change. This is particularly important in multiethnic societies such as NZ where indigenous peoples’ and other minority groups' epistemologies, knowledge systems and participation should be promoted. Perhaps this would have been clearer if there were more non academic speakers. Someone in one of my groups (sorry I don't remember your name) suggested use of the term "inquiry" and I think this could work well as all of us can be part of a process of inquiry. Inclusive language is important for what we are trying to do. Marina Apgar PhD candidate - Indigenous Epistemologies Environment, Society and Design Division Lincoln University Aotearoa / New Zealand ________________________________ From: Chrys Horn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "intsci@learningforsustainability.net" <intsci@learningforsustainability.net> Sent: Monday, 10 November, 2008 9:40:43 Subject: [IntSci] Running Hot 2: Interconnection: NZ Science in the 21st century Greetings! And welcome to any new subscribers - particularly those who attended the Running Hot 2 conference: Interconnection: Science for the 21st Century at the end of October. For old hands on this list, we have suggested that delegates at the Running Hot conference might be interested in subscribing to this list, and that for the next month or so, we will spend some time reflecting on the conference and thinking about its implications. The conference talked about and debated the idea of "wise science" and speakers, panels and workshops addressed the following themes: * Different ways of knowing * Wise science is interdisciplinary * New connections: organising wise science for the 21st century * Putting wise science to work in New Zealand This is not a conversation that needs to be confined only to people who attended the conference - we hope there will be something here of interest for people from further a field involved in interconnected science. So, where to start? Lets begin slowly and easily! For anyone that attended, you may like to tell us: * What are the messages of ideas that you took away with you? * What were the major lessons, what have you found yourself talking about to others? * What were your reactions while at the conference to any of the speakers or sessions? * What questions are you left with? For example, one of my reflections was an echo of Wendy Larner's observation that this event was a very unusual event not just in New Zealand but internationally. For me it was quite something that this conference that focused on doing science rather than presenting or discussing the results of the science that has already been done. This allowed people to reflect both on the difficulties and barriers to building better connections between sciences (biophysical and social), and between science and communities in the broadest sense of the word. It also allowed us to think positively about how this work might be fostered more and to be impressed at some of the work already going on. I am also aware that the multidisciplinary environment also led to some frustrations as we covered what for some was old ground, while for others it was very new ground. NOTE: when replying, make sure you include the list address: intsci@learningforsustainability.net<mailto:intsci@learningforsustainability.net>. Dr Chrys Horn Collaborative Learning for Environmental Management Landcare Research PO Box 40 Lincoln 7640 New Zealand Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] DDI +64 3 321 9700 Fax: +64 3 321 9998 Websites: Collaborative learning: http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/research_details.asp?Research_Content_ID=38 Maori Tourism: http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/sustainablesoc/tourism/growing_regional.asp Blog: http://learningnchange.blogspot.com/ ________________________________ Please consider the environment before printing this email Warning: This electronic message together with any attachments is confidential. If you receive it in error: (i) you must not read, use, disclose, copy or retain it; (ii) please contact the sender immediately by reply email and then delete the emails. The views expressed in this email may not be those of Landcare Research New Zealand Limited. http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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