Dear Jack and Joan-at-LHU
I have just managed to watch the Utube video for the first time, and then watched it another 4 times! Thank you for this. I so thoroughly appreciate your clear insights into the problems that beset people in the academy wanting to know that their 'social action' has shifted community consciousness. I like to think of this as 'influence in the community/ society' so that the work being done has a direct beneficial effect on those for whom it is most pertinent.
In your case, Joan, you identify children in care, and issues of poverty. We have similar problems here in SA, but at the moment - and for some time to come I believe - we have a particular problem with HIV/ AIDS related wants and needs. And I experience a sense of huge frustration when people simply put the topic aside as if it is someone else's problem.
I have a habit now of raising the topic in public meetings, and wait for a response. In 99% of cases, the response is "Joan, that is a very interesting question." And I wait for some input from someone else, .... and after the briefest of pauses, the discussion moves on to something else. In rare instances, I have then said, "So what are we going to do about it?" And sometimes the response is "Well, what do YOU think we should do about it?" This is a marvelous opportunity and I take the fullest possible advantage whenever this happens to explain the significance of the AFFECT of the pandemic, viz, that people who are living with people who have the virus are themselves traumatized and need support and understanding. This almost always is met with puzzlement, and/ or dismissal.
Clearly if we are going to change things, we have to understand what is happening, engage and change, just as you are intending in relation to the issues of poverty and child care in the UK. Where the UK sadly is featured as the least aware of all developed countries in relation to child care and poverty, we in KwaZuluNatal have the unenviable claim to being the "Aids Capital of the World".
Your question - as I understand it- Joan, of "How do we change social awareness systemically working from within a university?" is the critical question for me. Because I do believe that universities can and should make a considerable contribution to such systemic change, which I think of as 'transformation'. Because 'transformation' is about 'remaking', not merely 'reforming'. And 'remaking', in my mind, is about 'replacing something with a new thing which is radically different'. I have found great inspiration in the notion of self study because anyone who sincerely undertakes self study undertakes a process of 'self-remaking'. And it follows that the 'newly remade self' is going to have an impact both in and outside of the university. Such 'remade selves' behave differently and have an impact on everyone with whom they interact from the very first day that they begin their study. This is not just a notion: I have watched this at work here in SA. And once there are enough 'self remakes', there comes a time when the scale tips ... and once it tips, there is no stopping it.
On this last point, I find it significant that when I was in Canada in May 2009, my dear transforming friend, Diane Hill, gave me Malcolm Gladwell's book "The Tipping Point", which as the title implies is about the phenomenon of 'what tips the balance'. This confirmed for me the wisdom that it only takes enough dripping water to make a hole through a stone - an ancient Chinese technology, I do believe. When I read it, I was constantly reflecting on its relevance to me and the SeStuTHE project. And by the end of 2009, the impact of "living theories methodologies" was very evident at DUT... which you, Jack, witnessed, and contributed to generously and effectively.
The bottom line : "In ancient Chinese dripping water technology, every drop counts." In our business, every thought, word and action counts, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant.
I have listened with great regard, and heard your passion, Joan, your keen observations, your clarity of argument, and your plans. I believe that it is only a matter of time before the scale tips, and your beliefs and values start to become those of the community within which you and your colleagues and students live and work. And I believe that this 'time' will be shorter than you imagine.
Take care
Joan Conolly
PS "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell is also very useful!!! I have an increasing regard for good investigative journalism. I learn so much that is useful and thought provoking from them.
-----Original Message-----
From: Practitioner-Researcher [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jack Whitehead
Sent: 15 February 2010 01:30 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Explaining our educational influences in learn...
Every once in a while I like to set out some intentions in our public forum in terms of
improving my practice and knowledge-creation that I want to hold myself accountable to.
You could help me to do this as you make public your own explanations of your
educational influences in this forum and I can help to spread the influence of these
explanations in the following forums.
1) The Centre for the Child and Family at Liverpool Hope University held its first Steering
Committee last Wednesday. I video-taped a conversation with Joan in which I was asking
about how we might evaluate our influence in the development of the Centre. You can see
an 8:46 minute clip of this at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeYwLu9EI2c .
Joan expresses a commitment, which I share, to shifting the overall mindset that brings
practice and knowledge-creation together. If we are to improve childrens' well-being
there has to be a critical shift in how we engage in the knowledge-creation that is needed
to improve practice. So, we are both holding ourselves to account in relation to our
influence in doing this.
2) The University of San Diego 
School of Leadership and Education Sciences
 is hosting the
7th Annual Action Research Conference
 May 14 - 15, 2010 with the Theme:
Empowerment and action research: Personal growth, professional development, and
social change in educational and community settings.
You can access details at:
http://www.sandiego.edu/soles/centers/student_support_systems/events/ar_conference/i
ndex.php
I've agreed to give the keynote with the details at:
http://www.sandiego.edu/soles/centers/student_support_systems/events/ar_conference/s
peakers.php
(You might have to copy and past the above 2 urls into your browser if they are not live
within this text).
Given the above theme, if you have web-based accounts that I could draw attention to in
my web-based presentations this would help me to fulfil my desire to enhance the flow of
values and understandings that carry hope for the future of humanity and my own.
3) I've agreed to chair the Education and Learning networking stream for the 8th World
Congress on Action Learning Action Research Association (6th-9th September 2010 in
Melbourne - details at http://www.alara.net.au/public/home. This is the World Congress
at which Alan will be presenting a keynote).
ALARA is a strategic network of people interested in using action research and action
learning to generate collaborative learning, research and action to transform workplaces,
schools, colleges, universities, communities, voluntary organisations, governments and
businesses.
ALARA's vision is that action research and action learning will be widely used and publicly
shared by individuals and groups creating local and global change for the achievement of
a more equitable, just, joyful, productive, peaceful and sustainable society.
I'll be co-ordinating the Education and Learning networking stream from Bath and I'm
hoping that you will continue to share your web-based accounts of your practitioner-
research so that I can help to spread their influence through the Education and Learning
networking stream of the 8th World Congress.
Love Jack.
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