The next SPIRAL Meeting — Wednesday 4 JULY
Time: 5.00 - 7.00pm
Venue: Seminar Room, 4th floor, Centre for Health & Society, University of Melbourne,
221 Bouverie Street, Carlton (near Grattan Street, and parallel/near to Lygon Street and tram from the CBD)
‘Systems-thinking seems to be back ‘in’ - comments, observations and a conversation…’
Discussion leaders: Ray Ison, Systems Department, Open University, UK; Donald and Veronica D. de Raadt, Institute for Management and Social Systems, founded in Sweden, now Melbourne-based; and Yoland Wadsworth, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne.
Following the great success of the youth action research panel discussion we are trying the approach again — this time for the systems/systemic thinking perspective — currently enormously popular throughout the management area and now reaching the community health and human services sector. We are fortunate to have Ray, Veronica and Donald in Melbourne at this time and hope for another interesting international perspective and discussion.
Ray Ison is Professor of Systems and Director Open Systems Research Group (OSRG) in the Systems Department, Centre for Complexity and Change, at the OU in the UK. He has a chapter on action research in his most recent book on systems.
Donald de Raadt is co-founder of the Institute for Management and Social Systems, social philosopher and former President of the International Society for the Systems Sciences (USA), the Swedish Operational Research Society and vice-president of the International Federation for Systems Research (Vienna) - read more at: http://www.mssinstitute.com/donald/donald.htm
Veronica de Raadt is co-founder of the Institute for Management and Social Systems, a systems thinker and social worker with a special interest in community viability - read more at http://www.mssinstitute.com/veronica/veronica.htm
Read more about the Institute for Management and Social Systems and Veronica and Donald’s connections with Australia (and the AASW), publications and information technology/software on: http://www.mssinstitute.com/
Yoland Wadsworth is working on a third book in a trilogy of Do It Yourself Social Research, and Everyday Evaluation on the Run, entitled Building it in: Research and Evaluation for Living Human Systems . She’ll draw on a 10-year involvement in acute psychiatric hospital consumer evaluation and how it and other prior influences took her to a theory of living systems with inquiry as its animator. She currently has an association with the University of Melbourne http://www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/yrc/staffpages/y_wadsworth.html
All welcome.
Join us for Lygon Street dinner afterwards
Convenor: ARIA aria.inc [ at ] gmail.com
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)SPIRAL - June Newsletter #7 - 2007
*Systemic - Participatory - Inquiry - Research - Action - Learning*
SPIRAL - The Victorian Statewide Action Research Network
Dear SPIRAL members,
More interesting information about AR/Systems/PAR/AL activities continues to flood in — apologies for cross-postings.
Sorry for short notice on some items — we are sticking to two sendouts a month to limit email overload!
***URGENT ASK/OFFER***
We are looking for someone able to represent ARIA/SPIRAL at the ALARA(formerly ALARPM) national conference in Adelaide in August this year. If you would be prepared to report back to a SPIRAL meeting about this conference for all those unable to go, we would like to offer 50% off the member rate.
But we need to hear from you ASAP (by the 25 June technically).
First offer to email aria.inc[ at ]gmail.com will be accepted!
*******
This issue contains:
1. The next SPIRAL Meeting — Wednesday 4 JULY
2. Details of this year’s national action research and action learning (ALARA formerly ALARPM) conference
- 8-10 August, Adelaide, South Australia
3. Call for papers for two special issues of Action Research journal (Theory; Communicative space)
4. First call for international Action Learning Conference, Henley on Thames, UK, March 2008
5. June 2007 web site update:”Collaborative learning for environmental management”
6. Workshop: “Sensing on Everyday Mobile Phones in Support of Participatory Research” — UNSW, 6 November 2007
7. Community-Campus Partnerships for Health: invitation to join
8. Invitation to Pre-conference symposium on “Critical Reflection, Action Research and Social Development”
- 16 July 2007, Hong Kong
9. Second Call for Papers — Australia New Zealand Systems Conference 2007, 2-5 December 2007, Auckland, New Zealand
************************************************************
1. The next SPIRAL Meeting — Wednesday 4 JULY
Time: 5.00 - 7.00pm
Venue: Seminar Room, 4th floor, Centre for Health & Society, University of Melbourne,
221 Bouverie Street, Carlton (near Grattan Street, and parallel/near to Lygon Street and tram from the CBD)
‘Systems-thinking seems to be back ‘in’ - comments, observations and a conversation…’
Discussion leaders: Ray Ison, Systems Department, Open University, UK; Donald and Veronica D. de Raadt, Institute for Management and Social Systems, founded in Sweden, now Melbourne-based; and Yoland Wadsworth, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne.
Following the great success of the youth action research panel discussion we are trying the approach again — this time for the systems/systemic thinking perspective — currently enormously popular throughout the management area and now reaching the community health and human services sector. We are fortunate to have Ray, Veronica and Donald in Melbourne at this time and hope for another interesting international perspective and discussion.
Ray Ison is Professor of Systems and Director Open Systems Research Group (OSRG) in the Systems Department, Centre for Complexity and Change, at the OU in the UK. He has a chapter on action research in his most recent book on systems.
Donald de Raadt is co-founder of the Institute for Management and Social Systems, social philosopher and former President of the International Society for the Systems Sciences (USA), the Swedish Operational Research Society and vice-president of the International Federation for Systems Research (Vienna) - read more at: http://www.mssinstitute.com/donald/donald.htm
Veronica de Raadt is co-founder of the Institute for Management and Social Systems, a systems thinker and social worker with a special interest in community viability - read more at http://www.mssinstitute.com/veronica/veronica.htm
Read more about the Institute for Management and Social Systems and Veronica and Donald’s connections with Australia (and the AASW), publications and information technology/software on: http://www.mssinstitute.com/
Yoland Wadsworth is working on a third book in a trilogy of Do It Yourself Social Research, and Everyday Evaluation on the Run, entitled Building it in: Research and Evaluation for Living Human Systems . She’ll draw on a 10-year involvement in acute psychiatric hospital consumer evaluation and how it and other prior influences took her to a theory of living systems with inquiry as its animator. She currently has an association with the University of Melbourne http://www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/yrc/staffpages/y_wadsworth.html
All welcome.
Join us for Lygon Street dinner afterwards
Convenor: ARIA aria.inc[ at ]gmail.com
*********************************************************
2. Details of this year’s national action research and action learning (ALARA formerly ALARPM) conference - in Adelaide, South Australia
“Moving forward together”
9-10 August
(8 August pre-conference workshop)
Theme: “Moving forward together” - Enhancing the wellbeing of people and communities through Action Research and Action Learning
Topics areas: Include education, environment, health and Aboriginal ways of knowing and doing.
Proposals: See details on the website under ‘Call for Papers’
Dates: 9 & 10 August 2007 (8 August pre-conference workshop)
Venue: Tauondi College, Adelaide, Australia
Website: http:// www.alarpm.org.au
This is a multi-disciplinary conference focusing on collaborative ways of knowing and experiencing action research and action learning.
It is for community groups and services, workers, volunteers, researchers, professionals, educators, policymakers and managers.
It will be an interactive conference with a range of themes, disciplines and learning, teaching and information sharing styles including: Special interest yarning & discussion groups; Peer reviewed papers; Poster sessions and Meeting Place stalls
Registration for presenters and participants open now.
Early bird registrations close 25 June 2007
Contact: Donna by email or Tel: (07) 3342 1668
Email: admin[ at ]alarpm.org.au for registration forms or more information
Action Learning, Action Research Association (ALARA)
********************************************************
3. Call for papers for two special issues of Action Research journal (Theory; Communicative space)
From: Action Research Journal [mailto:Action_Research_Journal[ at ]management.bath.ac.uk]
Peter Reason is circulating calls for papers for two special issues of Action Research: one on the place of theory in action research; the other on opening communicative space. Please contact the special issue editors for further information
(i) Call for papers: Special issue — Theory in Action Research
The guest editors are Chris Huxham (University of Strathclyde), Ernie Stringer (Curtin University) and Bob Dick (Southern Cross University). The special issue is planned for Volume 7 No 1, final copydate October 2008 to be published in March 2009
“Ernie Stringer” <erniestringer[ at ]hotmail.com>
< bdick[ at ]scu.edu.au>
(ii) Call for papers: Special issue — Communicative space
The Editorial team for this issue will be led by Peter Reason. Please send outline proposals to him by September 31 2007; Final papers will be due in March 2008. We hope to publish this special issue in September 2008
“Peter Reason” <mnspwr[ at ]management.bath.ac.uk>
Peter Reason
Director, Centre for Action Research in Professional Practice
School of Management, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
Tel: +44-1225-386792
Fax: +44-1225-386473
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~mnspwr
http://www.bath.ac.uk/carpp
Handbook of Action Research http://www.sagepub.co.uk
Journal of Action Research http://arj.sagepub.co.uk
********************************************************
4. First call for an international Action Learning Conference, Henley on Thames, UK, March 2008
Action Learning: Practices, Problems & Prospects
An International Action Learning Conference to be held at:
Henley Management College, Greenlands, Henley on Thames, UK
March 17-19 2008
This conference aims to bring together practitioners, academics and managers concerned to celebrate and advance the ideas and practices of action learning worldwide.
Our aim is to create a conversation between diverse contributors and participants via thematic provocations, papers and presentations, practical workshops and reflective plenary sessions.
The conference will be of interest to those committed to action learning for personal development and systems improvement in commercial, public service, “third sector” and community contexts. To ensure an interactive method of working and to make best use of the facilities and surroundings, we have set a delegate limit at 120 people.
Cost: The all-in Conference rate will be £360 (this “Early Bird” rate applies until 31.12.07) including all accommodation and meals.
All participants will receive: a one-year subscription to the Journal, Action Learning: Research & Practice.
Papers, Workshops & Contributions: The programme will reflect a wide variety and a rich mixture of ideas and practice.
Outlines of proposed contributions by 7 th September 2007 please for:
(i) Refereed papers: abstracts of up to 300 words
(ii) Accounts of Practice, work in progress or workshops: outlines of 100 - 200 words
A Special Issue of Action Learning: Research & Practice will follow the conference.
To send your proposal and/or book your provisional place, contact:
Helen James
Henley Management College, Greenlands
Henley on Thames, Oxon RG9 3AU, England, UK
E-mail: Helen.James[ at ]henleymc.ac.uk
Tel: 044 (0)1491 571454 x2113
*********************************************************
5. June 2007 web site update — “Collaborative learning for environmental management”
A number of new resources related to themes of participation, negotiation and collective action have been posted on the Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research Collaborative learning for environmental management (CL-research) website at http://social.landcareresearch.co.nz/ The website itself has been redesigned and restructured. Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research is a New Zealand Crown Research Institute specialising in sustainable environmental management.
Social or collaborative learning acknowledges that individual interest groups bring different information, values, capacities, perspectives, methods of learning, and stores of historical experience to any problem situation. In essence collaborative learning is integration of these diverse knowledge bases in ways that advance the collective decision-making capability of all. Our research in this area identifies factors, tools and processes that support constructive collaboration and social interaction in natural resource management. The end-users of our work include science programmes; local, regional and national government agencies; iwi; NGOs; and other community leaders.
The CL-research website provides information, frameworks and processes which can be used by those wishing to more effectively engage different groups of stakeholders in research and development initiatives. A number of on-line papers and reports are available. Topics covered include communication and dialogue, evaluation and reflection, indigenous knowledge and values, knowledge management and integration, and collaborative approaches. New postings under the Tools/Concepts section provide free access to some of the models and tools that have been developed through Landcare Research work in this area. These can be accessed directly from the main entry page at http://social.landcareresearch.co.nz/ and include team building, stakeholder analysis and linking science and indigenous knowledge.
Feedback and comments on any of this material provided through this site is welcome, and can be made directly to the researchers involved, who are listed throughout the site
Regards
Will
Dr Will Allen, Collaborative learning for environmental management
Manaaki Whenua -Landcare Research NZ Ltd.
PO Box 40, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand
Tel: +64 3 321 9600
E-mail: allenw[ at ]landcareresearch.co.nz
Website: http://social.landcareresearch.co.nz/
LearningForSustainability.net: An on-line guide to improving social learning for environment & development
http://learningforsustainability.net/
*********************************************************
6. Workshop “Sensing on Everyday Mobile Phones in Support of Participatory Research” — UNSW, 6 November 2007
It will be held on November 6, 2007 at the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Website: http://urban.cens.ucla.edu/sensys07/
This workshop emerged from a new research effort at the University of California Los Angeles to explore how everyday mobile phones can support community-based data gathering.
While the venue is a technical conference (ACM Sensys 2007), the workshop organizers are eager to involve an equal number of participants from other fields, including public health, planning, and culture.
The deadline for short papers is July 30, but please do contact the organizers earlier with ideas, questions, etc. We are open to suggestions on workshop format and topics. See below for more details, including contact info.
* pdf: http://remap.ucla.edu/jburke/sensys2007/Sensys_CBPR_CFP.pdf
This workshop will focus on how mobile phones and other everyday devices can be employed as network-connected, location-aware, human-in-the-loop sensors that enable participatory data collection, geotagged documentation, mapping, and other case-making capabilities.
* Sensing system researchers are invited to submit provocative short papers on technology approaches to human-in-the-loop sensing using mobile phones and other off-the-shelf devices that could support participatory research.
* People involved in all forms of participatory research, including Community-Based Participatory Research, Participatory Action Research,and Participatory GIS, from universities, communities and other organizations, are invited to submit (or simply attend and discuss) their needs and possible design processes that could be applied to technology development for this area.
Two billion people carry mobile phones, which are increasingly capable of capturing, classifying and transmitting image, audio, location and other data, interactively or autonomously. Their capabilities and proliferation offer the opportunity to consider these devices as much
more than just a medium for person-to-person communication. With an appropriate system architecture, mobile phones can act as privacy-aware sensor nodes and location-based data collection instruments. As sensors, network-connected mobile handsets are embedded near the ultimate elusive subjects: people and their built environments. But instead of being in the hands of a central observer, these sensors are always available and under their owners’ control. Thus, employing them effectively and conscientiously will require models that prioritize people’s participation in sensing and in the creation of sensing systems.
By involving people in defining and participating in their own data collection, participatory approaches to sensing could address
significant challenges in large-scale data collection, from dietary intake assessment in large populations to geotagged audio documentary
that gathers the ’sounds of the city’ for cultural experience or noise pollution assessment. Collaborative data gathering by professionals and the public, facilitated by sensing systems comprised of everyday mobile devices, presents a provocative opportunity for pervasive computing. CBPR and related approaches in the health sciences, urban planning, economic development and participatory GIS set out to do no less than improve ‘the quality and validity of research by engaging local knowledge and theory based on the lived experience of people involved.’ Central to these activities is documentation of the environment (location), people and their lives that requires rugged, low-cost, ubiquitous data capture. As these capabilities move into close proximity to individuals, more than ever new design processes are necessary (and possible!) that explicitly involve communities in the specifying data collection needs and performing data collection.
This workshop will explore design approaches and technological mechanisms for involving specific communities in the design and
deployment of participatory sensing systems and the role of this new technology in participatory research.
To encourage exchange, the full day workshop will set aside time for open response and discussion in addition to formal presentations,
invited talks, and breakout sessions. Please send submissions including position papers, case studies, proposed architectures and early results. Feel free to offer suggestions for the workshop process itself.
All accepted papers will appear in the ACM Sensys 2007 conference proceedings.
Only original, unpublished papers will be considered. Length limit: 2 pages.
Please e-mail submissions in PDF, DOC, or RTF format to jburke[ at ]remap.ucla.edu
************************************************
7. Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
CCPH promotes health (broadly defined) through partnerships between communities and higher educational institutions. Become a member today at www.ccph.info
*********************************************************
8. Invitation to Pre-conference symposium on “Critical Reflection, Action Research and Social Development” - 16 July 2007 in Hong Kong
This half day (morning) symposium is an integral part of the 15th International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) Symposium to be held in Hong Kong from 16 to 20 July 07.
It is our honor to have the Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen who is an expert on Poverty to be the Keynote speaker of the
ICSD Symposium. Prior to the main conference, we hope that we can help creating synthesis between action research and social development in the pre-conference symposium
For information about the Pre-conference symposium and the ICSD, ask for the announcement attachments from: aria.inc.[ at ]gmail.com
We look forward to seeing you at the symposium.
Yours sincerely
Dr. Pauline Sung
Associate Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Prof Jan Fook
Professor, School of Social Sciences, University of Southampton
*********************************************************
9. Second Call for Papers — Australia New Zealand Systems Conference 2007, 2-5 December 2007, Auckland, New Zealand
“Systemic development: local solutions in a global environment”
ANZSYS’07 is the thirteenth annual systems conference to be held in this series and is located in Auckland at Unitec New Zealand (Mt Albert Campus). The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Systemic development: Local solutions in a global environment’.
As the call to solve intractable problems in a globally-connected world increases, systems thinkers turn towards systemic problem solving. The challenge is to apply holistic, global systems concepts to local situations.
This call goes out to both academic and practitioners in applying systems thinking principles to such problems.
The following is extracted from the conference website: http://anzsys07.unitec.ac.nz
Conference themes:
A globally-connected virtual world
Applications of creativity to systemic problem-solving
Conceptual modelling
Critical systems
Information systems
Managing systemic development
Organisational systems
Regional and environmental systems
Social systems
System dynamics
Systems theory/systems thinking
And any other related issue.
The conference chairs welcome any paper on one or more of these themes. If you would like to confirm that your paper falls within these themes then please email the Conference Chairs at anzsys07[ at ]unitec.ac.nz
Author information
Papers of up to 4000 words all up (including title, abstract, conference theme, keywords, body, footnotes, references, diagrams, and bios) on one or more of the conference themes will be considered for the conference. In all other respects, papers need to conform to the format and order of material requirements for the Emergence: Complexity and Organization journal at: http://emergence.org/ECO_site/web-content/sub_info.html All papers will be double blind refereed for inclusion in the refereed conference proceedings.
Important dates: Sunday 15 July 2007 — Papers due
Wednesday 31 October 2007 — Last day for early-bird registration
Sunday 2nd -Wed 5th Dec 2007 — The conference
Email submissions to, and contact organisers at: anzsys07[ at ]unitec.ac.nz
The conference is chaired by Kay Fielden (Unitec New Zealand) and Jim Sheffield (University of Auckland).