Thursday 7th May, 12-1.30pm, Charles Carter C37/40 Lancaster University with Dr Dr Helena Kettleborough, Manchester Metropolitan University

Explorations in first person inquiry and a new cosmological paradigm to examine our practice to learn our way into a more sustainable future

Given the challenges facing humanity in terms of the sixth silent extinction and continually rising carbon emissions, I explore the contribution of specific processes in learning combined with a shift in paradigms and relate to exploring practice in self, communities and management, in order to contribute to learning our way into a sustainable future.

• In my presentation, I will explore four  cycles of inquiry:
  First cycle of inquiry.  I  will share some elements of a first person inquiry for my PhD, including living life as inquiry (Marshall, 1999) and extended ways of knowing (Heron, 1996) and explore how I came to conclude that  they offer important processes as part of learning our way into an ecologically sustainable future.
• Second cycle of inquiry. I will outline how I researched the need for a new paradigm to gain the understanding and energy to make the changes we need to become an ecologically sustainable society. I will reflect on how I drew on Peter Reason and John Heron’s emerging participatory paradigm (1997) and Thomas Berry’s Dream of the Earth (1988) to suggest the contours of a new cosmological paradigm.
• Third cycle of inquiry. I will examine how I inquired into my practice as a community activist and senior manager at Neighbourhood level in a local authority to envision elements of a new management for Gaia, drawing on extended ways of knowing.
• Fourth cycle of inquiry. How can the contribute of action research for sustainability be taken out further?

In this SR+ session, we hope to celebrate academic research as a contribution to growing an ecologically sustainable planet with the aid of a little creativity as well.  I will invite the audience to participate  individually, in pairs and in a small group.