Everyday action research for complex times: A peacebuilder’s guide

2020 ◽  
pp. 147675032090589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Pace
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
First Person ◽  
Complex World ◽  
Everyday Experience ◽  
New Approaches ◽  
Everyday Action ◽  
New Type

In the midst of the increasing intensity of our world, peacebuilding practice is rapidly transforming. These changes come with a growing recognition that complexity is a new type of problem that requires new approaches and responses. As conflict resolution and peacebuilding actors are increasingly adopting complexity thinking and approaches to program implementation, I propose that we can learn to better master complexity by how we attend to our everyday experience. This, I suggest, is something that peacebuilding practitioners can do as a form of ongoing inquiry into the first-person territory of relational, contextual information that surrounds and includes the problems we care about and seek to address. I use a difficult incident from my experience to demonstrate some of what makes complexity so challenging and to explore ways we can learn to deal with these challenges. In keeping with the emancipatory and self-reflective traditions of action research and conflict resolution, an everyday action research is my way of harnessing inquiry and practice to expand capacities to meet the challenges we face in an increasingly complex world.

Deconstructing positionality in conflict resolution: Reflections from first-person action research in Pakistan and the South Caucasus

2020 ◽  
pp. 147675032096080
Author(s):  
Alexander Cromwell ◽  
Margarita Tadevosyan
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
First Person ◽  
Constructive Approach ◽  
The South ◽  
South Caucasus ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Conflict Settings

This article explores the role of first-person action research in uncovering how positionality influences conflict resolution practice. Specifically, it examines the experiences of two scholar-practitioners conducting first-person action research in different conflict/post-conflict settings. The case studies include first-person action research on encounter programs with Pakistani youth and first-person action research examining peacebuilding engagement in the South Caucasus. We highlight the significant challenge posed by positionality for scholar-practitioners in our practice and research, particularly as members of one of the conflict parties, and present first-person action research as a constructive approach to enhance self-reflexivity and improve our practices. We argue that first-person action research highlights the fluidity of positionality and the value of building insider relationships to enhance conflict resolution practice. Concurrently, this research approach illuminates challenges resulting from insider identities because of assumed agreement. Thus, first-person action research is useful for improving conflict resolution practice because it highlights the various benefits and drawbacks of practitioners’ positionalities.

Wonder-inspired leadership: Cultivating ethical and phenomenon-led healthcare

2021 ◽  
pp. 096973302199079
Author(s):  
Finn Th Hansen ◽  
Lene Bastrup Jørgensen
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Ethical Leadership ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
New Type ◽  
Danish Hospital ◽  
Sense Of Wonder

Three forms of leadership are frequently identified as prerequisites to the re-humanization of the healthcare system: ‘authentic leadership’, ‘mindful leadership’ and ‘ethical leadership’. In different ways and to varying extents, these approaches all focus on person- or human-centred caring. In a phenomenological action research project at a Danish hospital, the nurses experienced and then described how developing a conscious sense of wonder enhanced their ability to hear, to get in resonance with the existential in their meetings with patients and relatives, and to respond ethically. This ability was fostered through so-called Wonder Labs in which the notion of ‘phenomenon-led care’ evolved, which called for ‘slow thinking’ and ‘slow wondrous listening’. For the 10 nurses involved, it proved challenging to find the necessary serenity and space for this slow and wonder-based practice. This article critiques and examines, from a theoretical perspective, the kind of leadership that is needed to encourage this wonder-based approach to nursing, and it suggests a new type of leadership that is itself inspired by wonder and is guided by 10 tangible elements.

scholarly journals Plea Bargaining Changing Nordic Criminal Procedure: Sweden and Finland as Examples

2021 ◽  
pp. 255-269
Author(s):  
Laura Ervo
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Plea Bargaining ◽  
Legal Culture ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Court Culture ◽  
Criminal Proceedings ◽  
System A ◽  
Northern European ◽  
New Type

AbstractA plea bargaining system is a novelty and originally a legal transplant in Northern European countries. It exists—in some form—for instance in Finland, Norway and Denmark, whereas in Sweden only the system of crown witnesses is likely to be introduced. In this chapter plea bargaining is put into the East-Nordic—Finnish and Swedish—contexts. How does plea bargaining fit into the East-Nordic court culture? Which ingredients does the contemporary legal culture consist of? In which way is court culture changing due to the new values in the society? Or are the amendments made primarily to reduce the costs of the state? Fairness, procedural justice, conflict resolution, negotiated law, pragmatically acceptable compromise, procedural truth, court service, communication and interaction are examples of the topics that are currently discussed in Finland and Sweden. At the same time, the use of written proceedings and proceedings in the absence of an accused are increasing. Is the plea bargaining system a step towards a more effective and economic criminal procedural system or is it mirroring new type of thinking concerning criminal proceedings? In this chapter, these elements are discussed. Finland is used as a main example. The Finnish situation is also compared with Sweden.

Action Research Approaches

2021 ◽  
pp. 119-139
Author(s):  
Karen E. Watkins ◽  
Aliki Nicolaides ◽  
Victoria J. Marsick
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Complex World ◽  
Action Science ◽  
Action Inquiry ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Kurt Lewin ◽  
Address System ◽  
Research Action ◽  
Insight Into

The contemporary use of action research draws on the exploratory, inductive nature of many qualitative research approaches—no matter the type of data collected—because the type of research problems studied are complex, dynamic, and located in rapidly changing contexts. When action research is undertaken to support social and organizational change, support from stakeholders affected by the research problem is essential, creating further complexity. Action research may serve as an alternative to more traditional views of social science. In this chapter, the authors describe action research as envisioned by Kurt Lewin, its originator. They show how two variants of action research—action science and collaborative developmental action inquiry—advance insight into how action research can be used to develop personal capability to address system changes that action research seeks to unveil. They conclude with reflections on criteria for rigor and relevance in action research in today's post-modern, complex world.

scholarly journals Living Life as Inquiry – a Systemic Practice for Change Agents

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Rose Gearty ◽  
Judi Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
First Person ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
The Past ◽  
Systemic Practice ◽  
The Many

Abstract The practical orientation of action research, together with its embedded and participative principles, means it is particularly suited to complex, interconnected questions and ‘real life’ systemic issues. In the realm of first-person action research, Judi Marshall’s (1999) influential article “Living Life as Inquiry” described how such research can extend to one’s whole life whereby professional and personal questions can be set within politically relevant frames. Over the past two decades, many students and researchers have worked with and drawn much imaginative inspiration from the idea of living life as inquiry (LLI). However little has been written to describe how the practice develops and the many forms it can take. This article draws on our extensive experience as inquirers ourselves and as educators, working with students and change agents motivated to address social and environmental concerns. Twenty years after the original article we have conducted a reflective review that included surveying the literature, and working in depth with a range of stories and current practices. From this comes a textured expansion of the language and practice of living life as inquiry as it is approached from the specificity of people’s lives. Through narrative and visual textures, we present views into the many different ways LLI is developed through day-to-day practices of experimentation, data gathering, artistic exploration, intervention and reflection. We explore what this means for quality in the enactment of inquiry. The article draws particular attention to the embodied nature of inquiry and seeks to capture its fleeting, processual quality.

scholarly journals Dysfunctional Behavior at the Workplace and Its Impact on Employees’ Job Performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Ramzy ◽  
Randa El Bedawy ◽  
Aya Maher
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Dysfunctional Behavior ◽  
New Approaches ◽  
Organizational Dysfunction ◽  
The Relationship

Dysfunctional behavior at the workplace reflects the behavior that violates remarkably the accepted norms at the workplace which is in turn can be destructive to overall organizational performance. This study aims to explore the relationship between dysfunctional behavior at the workplace and employees’ job performance. In order to study the issue of organizational dysfunction in Egypt, a unique organization was taken as a case study, namely SEKEM. This research is qualitative research based on the approach of Action Research. Through this approach, a semi-structured interview was designed by the researchers and used to collect data from the employees of SEKEM. As such, it is recommended to take new approaches to effectively manage dysfunctional behavior at the workplace.

The Use of Participatory Action Research to Create a Positive Youth Development Program

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 2-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Hamby ◽  
Meghan Pierce ◽  
Kim Daniloski ◽  
David Brinberg
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Youth Development ◽  
Social Marketing ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Youth Development Program ◽  
Marketing Approach

A positive youth development program focusing on HIV prevention, alcohol abuse prevention, conflict resolution skills, and managing peer pressure was developed and implemented in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Participatory action research methods were combined with a social marketing approach to generate and implement a narrative-based curriculum. A posttest-only control group field experiment was used to evaluate the impact of a classroom intervention on adolescents' knowledge and attitudes related to the topics covered. The narrative-based curriculum was more effective than the standard, government-endorsed curriculum in increasing knowledge and changing attitudes toward sexual behavior and conflict resolution. The implications of implementing a narrative-based curriculum using a social marketing approach are discussed.

The Problem-Solving Workshop as a Method of Research

2004 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Social Conflict ◽  
Central Element ◽  
Social Intervention ◽  
Research Technique

AbstractEarly proponents of the problem-solving workshop cast it as a method of research to study the phenomenon of social conflict, not only as a method of practice. As a research technique, problem-solving workshops can serve as both a forum for applying and testing concepts and models about conflict, and as a laboratory for inductive theorizing based on information provided by participants. Workshops can also be useful for identifying the typical barriers that hamper effective negotiation and for proposing ways to overcome these resistances. As a form of action research, workshops constitute a social intervention and serve as the central element in a program of activities directed toward social change through conflict resolution. Unfortunately, both the potential of workshops as a research method and the need for evaluating them as interventions are inadequately addressed by current practice.

Action Research: A way to generate new approaches to teaching mathematics in Bioengineering

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria M. Anino ◽  
Diana M. Waigandt ◽  
Marisol Perassi ◽  
Gustavo Pita ◽  
Alberto Miyara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Teaching Mathematics ◽  
Approaches To Teaching ◽  
New Approaches

Development of New Type Centralized Engineering Seismograph

2013 ◽  
Vol 333-335 ◽  
pp. 2412-2416
Author(s):  
Jin Feng Yan ◽  
Ming Deng ◽  
Yan Jun Li ◽  
Qi Sheng Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Power Consumption ◽  
Embedded System ◽  
Low Power ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Hardware Design ◽  
Low Power Consumption ◽  
System Solution ◽  
Software Program ◽  
New Type

SoPC technology is a high-performance, low-power consumption embedded system solution based on embedded microprocessor, providing a new way for developing new type centralized engineering seismograph. The paper presents the development of a new type centralized engineering seismograph based on SoPC technology, which adopts FPGA design based on SoPC technology for the hardware design and embedded software program development of the 48-channel engineering seismograph. According to actual needs of currently available centralized engineering seismograph, combining the actual characteristics of SoPC embedded technology, a portable, low-power consumption and high-performance new type centralized engineering seismograph is constructed. The paper describes the hardware design and software program implementation of the centralized engineering seismograph in detail.

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