TB872: Reading about Critical Social Learning Systems (CSLS)
Note: this is a post reflecting on one of the modules of my MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice. You can see all of the related posts in this category.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve chosen to use a Critical Social Learning Systems (CSLS) approach for the next stage of my studies as I move towards the End of Module Assessment (EMA).
In preparation for my EMA, I need to collate resources beyond the core text. I’m indebted to other students who have shared some of the following on the forums. I’ve augmented these with some that I’ve discovered through various searches.
| Author(s) | Themes | Summary (based on abstracts) |
|---|---|---|
| Bawden, R. (2004) | Agriculture Australia Deliberative democracy Experimental pedagogies Public discourse Rural development Sustainability Systems Theories | This paper discusses over twenty-five years of effort by academics at Hawkesbury Agricultural College to foster public discourse on rural Australia’s development and the sustainable role of agriculture within it. It highlights the prioritisation of systems theories, experiential pedagogies, and participatory development within a deliberative democracy framework. Lessons from the Hawkesbury experience are offered for understanding the role of the agora in broader global transformation efforts. |
| Bawden, R. (2005a) | Agriculture Complexity Conflict Diverse stakeholders Intellectual devleopment Learning Moral development Natural resource management Participation Systems Thinking Sustainability | This paper is a reflection by Bawden, on the integration of participation, learning, and systems thinking in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management highlighted by three papers. These papers emphasise the complexity, inherent conflicts, and the importance of dialogue among diverse stakeholders. They collectively advocate for a critical learning systems approach, urging a shift in understanding natural resource development as a learning process rather than merely as systemic interventions. Bawden proposes an integrating conceptual map to frame these discussions within the broader context of intellectual and moral development among actors in natural resource systems. |
| Bawden, R. (2005b) | Epistemic growth Experiential strategies Sustainable development Systemic development | This paper reflects on the systemic development initiatives at Hawkesbury, emphasising the intrinsic link between concrete development actions and the epistemic growth of participants. It highlights the role of critical experiential strategies, which are both systemic and reflexive, in fostering this connection. As global calls for sustainable development increase, Bawden argues for the importance of collective, communicative, and experiential strategies to address systemic global challenges effectively. |
| Bawden, R. (2010) | Collective learning Experiential learning Social learning Systemic education Systemic praxis Value assumptions Worldviews | This chapter elaborates on the tradition of systemic praxis from Hawkesbury Agricultural College, focusing on the evolution of critical social learning systems. It traces the origins of this concept to early systemic education initiatives and highlights the development of critical learning systems highlighting social or collective learning. Bawden outlines five core beliefs integral to the initiative, focusing on the importance of experience, experiential learning, worldview influences on learning, the developmental potential of worldviews, and systemic action’s dependence on specific intellectual and value assumptions. |
| Blackmore, C., Sriskandarajah, N. and Ison, R. (2018) | Agriculture Co-creation Coordination Diverse stakeholders Environment Food Learning systems Systemic thinking Uncertainty | This paper reviews the evolution of systemic approaches to managing change and uncertainty in agriculture, food, and the environment, highlighting the transition towards learning systems that incorporate diverse stakeholder perspectives for co-creating knowledge. The authors reflect on their extensive experience in developing these systems across various contexts and discuss the dynamic interplay between theory and practice in learning systems, stressing the need for systemic thinking and co-innovation in times of uncertainty. |
| Boxelaar, L., Paine, M. and Beilin, R. (2006) | Australia Civil society Collaboration Decision making Government Natural resource management Private sector Reflexivity Stakeholder participation | This article examines a shift in Australian public policy towards a more collaborative model involving government, civil society, and the private sector to tackle complex policy challenges. Focusing on a Victorian government project in natural resource management, the research indicates that practices rooted in new public management hindered effective stakeholder participation in decision-making. The authors argue for a reflexive approach to public administration that genuinely facilitates stakeholder engagement beyond the rhetoric of collaboration. |
| Ison, R. and Russell, D. (2000) | Design Enthusiasm Learning systems Methodology Personal histories Traditions | This paper reflects on critical incidents in the authors’ lives to explore how making distinctions can inform the design of learning systems. It discusses the challenge posed by learners not embodying dualities, suggesting that exploring enthusiasm as theory, biological drive, and methodology can help individuals connect distinctions with their personal history and traditions, thus participating in creating purposeful learning systems. |
| Ison, R. and Straw, E. (2020) | Climate emergency Environment Governance Perspectives Systems Thinking | This piece highlights the deteriorating relationship between humans and the environment, a concern that dates back to early observations by explorers and scholars like Alexander von Humboldt. It discusses historical awareness of environmental changes and the greenhouse effect, emphasizing the need for systems thinking in addressing the climate emergency. The authors argue for a shift in perspective to include reflection on our thinking processes and actions in relation to environmental governance. |
| Ison, R.L. (2023) | Economic disruption Environment Governance Pandemic Reflexivity Systems science | This paper discusses the complex challenges faced by humanity since 2019, including the pandemic, economic disruption, and environmental changes, highlighting the inadequacy of traditional ways of thinking and acting in addressing these challenges. It advocates for innovative approaches in knowledge and practices, emphasizing the need for reflexivity among practitioners of knowledge and systems science to critically evaluate and update our understandings and governance systems for a sustainable co-evolution with the Anthropocene-Biosphere. |
| Jackson, M.C. (2006) | Creative holism Complexity Creativity Holism Systemic thinking | This paper proposes ‘creative holism’, a critical systems approach designed to help managers tackle complex problem situations in an era characterised by rapid change and diversity. Jackson argues that traditional solutions often fail because they lack holistic and creative perspectives. ‘Creative holism’ combines these elements to offer a more effective strategy for managing complexity, suggesting that systemic thinking could significantly benefit society by providing managers with the tools needed to navigate and address intricate challenges effectively. |
| Kitchener, K. (1983) | Cognition Epistemic cognition Framework Knowledge Metacognition Problem soliving | Kitchener proposes a three-level model for cognitive processing, addressing how individuals manage complex, ill-structured problems. The model includes cognition (basic problem-solving tasks), metacognition (monitoring one’s own cognitive processes), and epistemic cognition (considering the nature and limits of knowledge). This framework suggests that while cognitive and metacognitive abilities develop in childhood, epistemic cognition emerges in late adolescence and adulthood, influencing problem-solving strategies and the understanding of knowledge. |
| Korycki, T. (2022) | Collaboration Collective learning Cooperation Institutions Organisations Social learning | This work explores social learning, focusing on principles, activities, and behaviours facilitating collaboration and cooperation within various situations, particularly in institutional and organisational contexts. It also includes a case study on the application of social learning in a micro-enterprise environment, highlighting how individuals and small organizations engage informally for collective learning. |
| Kuhn, L. and Woog, R. (2005) | Complexity Description Ethnography Frameworks Interdependence Intervention | This paper introduces vortical postmodern ethnography, applying complexity science to social theorizing and research. It explores the intricate, dynamic interdependence of society and its theoretical frameworks, arguing that complexity in human society and its theories can offer novel descriptions and understandings. The authors note the evolving nature of discourse and the role of human actors as both observers and contributors. The focus is on alternative descriptions rather than prescriptive interventions. |
| McCarthy, D.D.P., et al. (2011) | Barriers Collaboration Complexity Environment Epistemology First nations Opportunities Perspectives Social learning | This paper introduces a heuristic tool for understanding the epistemological context of social learning within complex social–ecological systems. It foregrounds critical reflection, collaborative nature, and practice orientation of social learning through social interactions. The tool facilitates mapping perspectives across knowledge typology, reflection levels, and scale. Applied to environmental planning in southern Ontario and flood damage reduction in a First Nations community in northern Ontario, it helps identify barriers and opportunities for social learning. |
| Stephens, A., Jacobson, C. and King, C. (2010) | Critical systems thinking Feminism Inclusion Methodologies Perspectives Social change Sustainability | This paper merges Critical Systems Thinking and Cultural Ecofeminism to propose a feminist-systems theory, outlining five principles that emphasize gender sensitivity, inclusivity, environmental integration, methodological appropriateness, and sustainable social change. It critically engages with related literature to scrutinise these principles and offers theoretical recommendations for practitioners, aiming to enrich practice with these integrated perspectives. |
| Vickers VC, Sir G. (1972) | Communication Complexity Conflict Perspectives Subjectivity | This paper delves into the complex nature of conflict, exploring its origins, manifestations, and models used for its representation. It discusses how membership in various systems can both generate and mitigate conflict through the mechanisms of restraints and assurances. Special emphasis is placed on the significance of subjective perceptions and their interplay with communication, leading to insights on conflict resolution, containment strategies, and the conditions necessary for their success or failure. |
References
- Bawden, R. (2004) ‘Angst, agoras, and academe: reflections on an experience in conscious evolution’, World Futures, 60(1), pp. 53–66.
- Bawden, R. (2005a) ‘A commentary on three papers.’ Agriculture and Human Values, 22, pp. 169-176.
- Bawden, R. (2005b) ‘Systemic Development at Hawkesbury: Some Personal Lessons from Experience.’ Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 22, pp. 151-164.
- Bawden, R. (2010) ‘Messy Issues, Worldviews and Systemic Competencies’ in Blackmore, C. (ed) Social Learning Systems and Communities of Practice. Milton Keynes: The Open University / London: Springer, pp. 89-101.
- Blackmore, C., Sriskandarajah, N. and Ison, R. (2018) ‘Developing learning systems for addressing uncertainty in farming, food and environment: what has changed in recent times?’, International Journal of Agricultural Extension, 6(3), pp. 03–15.
- Boxelaar, L., Paine, M. and Beilin, R. (2006) ‘Community engagement and public administration: of silos, overlays and technologies of government.’ Australian Journal of Public Administration, 65(1), pp. 113-126.
- Ison, R. and Russell, D. (2000) ‘Exploring some distinctions for the design of learning systems.’ Cybernetics and Human Knowing, 7(4), pp. 43-56.
- Ison, R. and Straw, E. (2020) The hidden power of systems thinking: governance in a climate emergency. Abingdon: Routledge.
- Ison, R.L. (2023) ‘Beyond covid: reframing the global problematique with stip (Systems thinking in practice)’, Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering, 32(1), pp. 1–15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11518-023-5549-9.
- Jackson, M.C. (2006) `Creative holism: a critical systems approach to complex problem situations’, Systems research and behavioral science, 23(5), pp. 647–657. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.799.
- Kitchener, K. (1983) ‘Cognition, metacognition, and epistemic cognition: a three-level model of cognitive processing.’ Human Development, 26(4), pp. 222-232.
- Korycki, T. (2022) ‘Critical social learning systems: an inquiry, case study and some learning’. Systems and Complexity in Organisation. Available at: https://www.systemspractice.org/resources/critical-social-learning-systems-inquiry-case-study-and-some-learning
- Kuhn, L. and Woog, R. (2005) ‘Vortical postmodern ethnography: introducing a complexity approach to systemic social theorizing.’ Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 22, pp. 139-150.
- McCarthy, D.D.P., Crandall, D.D., Whitelaw, G.S., General, Z. and Tsuji, L.J.S. (2011) ‘A critical systems approach to social learning: building adaptive capacity in social, ecological, epistemological (SEE) systems’, Ecology and Society, 16(3): 18.
- Stephens, A., Jacobson, C. and King, C. (2010) `Describing a feminist-systems theory’, Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 27(5), pp. 553–566. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.1061.
- Vickers VC, Sir G. (1972) ‘The Management of Conflict.’ Futures, 4(2), pp. 126-141.
Image: DALL-E 3