Thanks very much, I'm just getting around to doing something with the survey
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list on participatory geographies
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sander Van Lanen
Sent: 20 March 2014 12:04
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Reading Groups 'survey'
Hi Kelvin,
In Utrecht, the Netherlands, I was involved in a group called KSU
(Critical students Utrecht), which had a reading group as one of their
activities. I will describe how it was set up:
Our main goal was both to learn, but also to experiment with
democratic organisation, that's why we did not prepare to much and
involve participants in deciding the exact topics to cover.
We would pick a topic (examples are: understanding the economic
crisis, education in neoliberal times, effect of the crisis on youth,
history of social movements, work in the 21st century) and plan around
six nights, two weeks apart. For the first night we would prepare a
short presentation covering the way the reading group was set up, and
an introduction on the topic. Than there was a discussion on what
participants wanted to learn about the given topic. Then groups would
split up, brainstorm more about their specific interests. At the end
each group would pick a date to do a session on their subtopic.
For each night the group would send around 50 pages of text (1.5 weeks
in advance) to the whole group, do some more research themselves and
prepare a presentation of about 30 mins. Then we would have a
discussion with the whole group on the topic. These discussions were
very fruitful, with people coming from different backgrounds, we had
to leave the venue at 10, but discussions would often continue in the
local pub until 3am.
At the end of each reading group series we would invite people to join
in the preparation group of th next series, we would do two sessions
each year, planned in accordance with university semesters since
students were our main audience (although professors, friends and
generally interested people joined as well).
Hope this information is of use to you, please let me know if you want
to know more.
Sander
On 20 March 2014 10:58, Kelvin Mason <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Apologies for - maybe - cross posting but group members could help me with
a
> bit of research:
>
>
>
> If anyone is involved in a reading group, specifically a radical group,
> could you email me and perhaps give just a few details of the group (who's
> involved, what you read, where and when you meet - if you meet...)
>
>
>
> I leave you to define 'radical' for yourselves, but in my own limited
> conception I'm thinking about the subject of readings themselves, the
> actions of the group beyond reading, and the constitution of the group
> (especially if it transcends the academia-public divide)
>
>
>
> This 'bit of research' follows up on last year's fuller geographies
session
> at (actually beyond) the RGS/IBG International Conference which discussed
> the potential of radical reading groups...
>
>
>
> Many thanks
>
>
>
> Kelvin
>
>
>
> Kelvin Mason
>
> Banc y Mor
>
> Blaenplwyf
>
> Aberystwyth SY23 4DW
>
>
>
> Tel: 01970 610 185
>
> Mob: 07817 596 285
>
>
|