Talk and introduction to the workshop series
Perin L. Z. Ruttonsha
This talk and interactive examine the balancing act that is implicit in the global sustainability transition. It is linked to the series of 45-minute workshops organised around the following seven themes: (1) order in chaos; (2) reductionism reconciled; (3) parallel worlds (4) power and vulnerability; (5) shadows and archetypes; (6) relational well-being; and, (7) fierce and quiet kinds of love.
Over the past forty years, the design and social innovation fields have been increasingly theorising how to facilitate processes of co-generative, cross-sectoral, cross-scale systems change. Design charrettes and social innovation labs, along with related participatory, research-to-practice methodologies, have been implemented worldwide—applied at the level of communities, municipalities, and regions, and spanning topics of ecological, social, cultural, economic, political, and technological interests. Yet, the complexity, diversity, and inherently wicked nature of global sustainability challenges remain unmatched by these, along with other transition efforts. As such, we continue to hone our fortitude, aptitude, commitment, discernment, and sensitivity as changemakers, operating in the face of uncertainty, surprise, and emergence.
Recognising the ideological, cognitive, affective, intersubjective, and psychosocial dimensions of systems and behavioural change, more recently, scholars and practitioners in both design and social innovation fields have been extending the conventions of participatory action to include those of transformative social learning (TSL). In this respect, processes of co-creation are being complemented with those of introspection, connection, alignment, storytelling, sensemaking, critique of systemic barriers to change, and searching for a deeper sense of purpose around which to orient our values, principles, and goals for change. Moreover, in order to effectively navigate complicated, complex, and highly politicised contemporary scenarios for transition, we are actively cultivating and recalibrating our own sensibilities and countenance as changemakers—namely, to become more adept at collectively leading global societies through the fire of climate change, biodiversity loss, health pandemics, political insecurity, and human rights movements.
Elsewhere, I have described the paradigm and era of regenerative sustainability as a process of balancing among multiple planetary, social-ecological systems complexities. Referencing the work of innovation theorists, social psychologists, philosophers, cultural theorists, sustainability, resilience and ecological economics thinking, this workshop series examines the balancing act that is implicit in global sustainability transition, organised around the following seven themes: (i) order in chaos; (ii) reductionism reconciled; (iii) parallel worlds; (iv) power and vulnerability; (v) shadows and archetypes; (vi) relational wellbeing; and, (vii) fierce and quiet kinds of love.
KEYWORDS: changemaking, complexity, leadership, relationality, regenerative sustainability, transformative social learning
RSD TOPIC(S): Methods & Methodology, Society & Culture, Socioecological Design
