Report on
Sixth ARALIG PhD-course held in Portugal, 3-7 June 2012
Nature-Society Relationships in transition
Action Research methodologies to collectively deal
with experience and utopia
Department of Urban and Rural Development
Nadarajah Sriskandarajah
1
Background
This PhD course is the 6th in a series of PhD courses being offered by ARALIG since 2007
and supported by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences along with institutions in
Denmark, Portugal and Hungary. Previous courses took place in these countries and in the
Netherlands..
Course Organization:
ARALIG – Action Research Action Learning Interest Group
ICAAM - Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Universidade
de Évora, Portugal
CENSE-ECOMAN – Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, Ecological
Economics and Environmental Management Group, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
IP BEJA – Instituto Politécnico de Beja
LLL and SST (PhD programs for Life Long Learning and Social, Spatial and Technological
studies), Roskilde University, Denmark
NRML – Natural Resource Management and Livelihoods in International Development &
Division of Environmental Communication, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,
Uppsala, Sweden **
** Supported by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of its special allocation for
global food security 2011 and by the Agricultural Science for Global Development http://www.slu.se/en/collaboration/agricultural-sciences-for-global-development/
Venue:
Instituto Politécnico Beja – Quinta da Saúde, Portugal
Course Theme:
Understanding sustainability not as a static objective, but as an ongoing process of
continuous change at the social-ecological level, we focus on transition towards sustainability
in Nature-Society Relationships. Transitions are long-term, co-evolutionary and multi-actor
processes that require changes both on system and actor level. A crucial dimension in such
transition processes is the local collective dimension. Action research has a perspective on
how to conduct research: on the one hand, research should support a normative change (in
problem-solving or transition processes), on the other hand, such experiences should
produce new knowledge. In this way, action research underlines a connection between
theory and practice, between understanding and change, and an active cooperation between
researchers and participants. Action research has therefore conceptual approaches and
methodologies to deal with change.
The course aims to bring together a multidisciplinary group of people interested in action
research, in the relation between practice and reflective learning and, broadly, in transition
processes, in order to share, discuss, and reflect on their experiences with different methods
and activities. The goal is to gather conceptual proposals and action methodologies that
collectively deal with change towards the sustainability in nature-society relationships, which
includes a wide range of topics. To achieve this we reinforce methodological component
(know-how), by experiencing two methodologies: Systematization of Experiences and Future
Creation Workshops. Moreover, we discuss practical ongoing transition projects and its
resonance in the global.
Speakers:
Sofia Vaz, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
Nadarajah Sriskandarajah, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
György Pataki, Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary
Naya Sharma, ForestAction, Nepal
Oscar Jara, Centro de Estudios y Publicaciones Alforja, Programa latinoamericano de
sistematização de experiências do CEAAL (Conselho de Educação de Jovems e Adultos de
America Latina), Costa Rica
Helle Nielsen, Roskilde University, Denmark
Hans Peter Hansen, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
André Vizinho, Aldeia das Amoreiras Sustentável, Transition Network, Portugal
Gil Penha Lopes, Universidade de Lisboa, Transition Network, Portugal
Rui Ferreira, Centro de Convergência, Portugal
Field Trip:
The course included a one day visit to ‘Aldeia das Amoreiras’ – an example of a rural
abandonment situation and a village where the NGO Centro de Convergência (GAIA) has
been working with its residents to create collective sense of hope in its sustainable future.
This has been done by attracting young inhabitants, meeting some of the villager’s needs
and triggering cultural activities. For more information: http://aldeiasustentavel.net/.
Application and Assessment :
Participants were asked to send an abstract of work or planned activities (maximum 400
words) and also fill an application form (available through the contacts above). After
acceptance in the course, participants were asked to send an extended abstract (2-4 pages),
specifying: i) context, ii) goals, iii) approach and methodologies, iv) main results, difficulties,
discussions and conclusions if they exist. This abstract specified how the work dealt with
social-ecological change and what the person’s experience in working with this issue and/or
with social-ecological research.was
In addition to this extended abstract, participants were also asked to provide a synthesis
power point presentation with the following structure: slide 1 – title; slide 2 – context and
challenges; slide 3 – goals; slides 4 and 5 – approach and methodologies for research and
for action; slide 6 – difficulties faced and results; slide 7 – discussion and main questions to
debate in terms of applying Action Research in social-ecological change processes.
After the course, participants produced a paper on Reflection and Action Plan that specified:
How did this course contribute to you at the personal level?
How did it change the work planning?
How did it influence the way social-ecological change is approached?
How to relate action, practice and research within the PhD and in the University context?
or how to relate reflective moments with action and practice within the NGOs context?
Readings:
- Nielsen, K. A. and Nielsen, B. S. 2006. Methodologies in action research: Action Research
and Critical Thinking. In Action and Interactive Research: Beyond Theory and Practice,
edited by L. Svensson and K. A. Nielsen. Maastricht, The Netherlands: Shaker Publishing.
- Jara O. Theoretical and practical orientations for systematization of experiences.
- Reason, P. and Torbert, W. 2001. The action turn: Toward a transformational social
science. Concepts and Transformation. 6:1, 1-37
- Packham, R.G. and Sriskandarajah, N. (2004) Systemic Action Research for Postgraduate
education in Agriculture and Rural Development. Systems Research and Behavioral
Science. 22: 119-130
- Marquardt Arévalo, K., Ljung M. and Sriskandarajah, N. (2009) Learning through feedback
in the field: an example of a reflective learning NGO in the Peruvian Amazon, Action
Research 8 (1): 29-51
- Svensson, L. and Nielsen K.A. 2006. Action Research and Interactive Research. In Action
and Interactive Research: Beyond Theory and Practice, edited by L. Svensson and K. A.
Nielsen. Maastricht, The Netherlands: Shaker Publishing.
- Ole Erik Hansen, Bent Søndergård and Jens Stærdahl. 2010. Sustainable Transition of
Socio-technical Systems in a Governance Perspective. In A new agenda for sustainability,
edited by K. A. Nielsen, B. Elling, M. Figueroa and E. Jelsøe. Surrey, England: Ashgate.
- Santos, Boaventura de Sousa. 2002. Para uma sociologia das ausências e uma sociologia
das emergências. Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais 63:237-280
- Hopkins, R. (2008): The transition Handbook. Totnes. Green Books ltd
- Shiva, Vandana (2005): Earth Democracy. Zed Books.
- Söderbaum, Peter (2008): Understanding Sustainability Economics. London. Earthscan
- Clausen,Laura Tolnov; Hansen, Hans Peter, Tind. Esben. 2010. Democracy and
sustainability: A lesson learned from modern nature conservation. In A new agenda for
sustainability, edited by K.A. Nielsen, B. Elling, M.Figueroa, E. Jelsøe. Surrey, England:
Ashgate.
Jungk, Robert, Müllert, Norbert (1987): ‘Future workshops: How to Create Desirable Futures’.
London, England, Institute for Social Inventions ISBN 0948826398.
- Petra Eickhoff, Stephan G. Geffers: ‘Power of Imagination Studio - A Further Development
of the Future Workshop Concept’, chapter 26 in Peggy Holman, Tom Devane, Steven Cady
(ed.) (2006): ‘The Change Handbook - The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for
Engaging Whole Systems’ - San Francisco, ISBN 1576753794.
.
Conclusions
The course was attended by 16 students from 12 countries with a mix of backgrounds, and
two invited international presenters, and 7 speakers from host country and other network
institutions.
Within the broad theme of Action Reseach, the emphasis on methodologies and reflective
processes was recived well, in line with courses in previous years.
The substantial financial support received from SLU Global enabled the conducting of the
course in 2012, when some of the regular sources of funds became unavailable. Three
students from Africa were invited and only one from Tanzania’s Sokoine University was able
to participate. His participation and the introduction of his field case brough an important
dimension to the course and to the ongoing discussions.
The continuity of the course has been maintained and the cousre is planned to be held in
Hungary (2013) and in Norway (2014).
Attachment 1. Course Schedule – see separate document .attached
Attachment 2. List of Participants
. NAME
1.
2.
Riikka Borg
Beate
Friedrich
NATIONALITY
OCCUPATION
INSTITUTION
Subject
CONTACTS
Finnish
Researcher
Finish Environment
Institute . SYKE;
University of
Tampere
Forest
Conservation.
Coop networks.
riikka.borg@uta.fi
Leuphana
Universität
Lüneburg -
GMO,
sustainability,
beate.friedrich@uni.leuphana.de
German
PhD-Student /
Research Assistant
PAGOU
Abs
PPT
Sim
Ok
Ok
Sim
Ok
Ok
Sim
Ok
Ok
Sim
Ok
Ok
+358 40 574 1463
+49 (0)4131-677-1963
Projekt PoNa
3.
4.
Lanka Elvira
Horstink
Dutch
Ágnes
Kalóczkai
Hungarian
PhD
student/researcher;
Civic Campaign
coordinator
Technical
University of
Lisbon (Faculty of
Political and Social
Sciences)
Food
sovereignty.
GMO
lankah@gmail.com
Research fellow and
Ph.D. student
Institute of
Landscape
Management and
Nature
Conservation,
Faculty of
Agricultural and
Environmental
Sciences
Farming Conservation
Conflict
kaloczkai.agnes@essrg.hu
1
+351 910 631 664
+36 30 849 9496
5.
Justyna
Gutowska
Polish
PhD student
Institute of
Environmental
Sciences
Local people Conservation
conflict
justyna.gutowska@uj.edu.pl
Corvinus University
of Budapest
Waste
management,
Gabriella.kiss@uni-corvinus.hu
Department of
Environmental
Economics
sustainability
Sim
Ok
Ok
Ok
Ok
Ok
+48 668 331 892
Jagiellonian
University
6.
Gabriella Kiss
Hungarian
PhD candidate
7.
8.
9.
Nícia
Ibramogy
Givá
Mozambican
Tomas Lopez
Norwegian
10. Marte Lange
Vik
11. Myriam A.M.
Hemsteede
Norwegian
Dutch
Communityconservation
conflict.
Livelihoods.
Sim
+36 70 378 4097
SRI
Assistant lecturer at
Eduardo Mondlane
University and PhD
student at SLU
Urban and Rural
development
Department, SLU,
Sweden
PhD –student
University of
Nordland
Food security.
Fair trade.
tomas.lopez@uin.no
NTNU, Norwegian
University of
Science and
Technology
Landscape mngt.
marte.lange.vik@svt.ntnu.no
Sim
Ok
University of
Groningen,
Groningen, The
Conservation
and
Development.
m.a.m.hemsteede@rug.nl
Sim
Ok
PhD student
PhD researcher
3ngiva@gmail.com, nicia.giva@slu.se,
+258 824885230
Sim
+47 92216784
Power
distribution
+31 (0)50 363 3812
Netherlands
Population
Health and Env.
Development
International
+31 (0)6 1052 7475
12. Jelena
Nedeljkovic
Serbian
PhD student / junior
researcher
University of
Belgrade, Faculty
of Forestry
Non-wood forest
products.
Resource
economics.
Jelena.nedeljkovic@sfb.bg.ac.rs
Sim
13. Alba
Ballester
Ciuró
Spanish
Independent
consultant; Associate
professor at University
of Zaragoza.
Researcher at
Autonomous
University of Barcelona
University of
Zaragoza,
Autonomous
University of
Barcelona
Risk hazard and
participation
alba.ballester@gmail.com/abc@unizar.es
Sim
14. Andrea Hackl
Austrian
Dancer/choreographer
Freelance,
Amsterdam
Dance for
personal
development
and h-n
relationship
andreahackl514@
??
jnsenga@yahoo.com
SRI
emaildaritasilva@gmail.com
Sim
15. Justus
Nsenga
Tanzanian
16. Rita Silva
Portuguese
I.
II.
III.
Master student
ISCTE –
Development
Studies
Food
Sovereignity and
community
development
Nature Conservation and Local communities: Agnes, Nicia, Justyna, Andrea, Marte, - Sri
PAR-AL and management: Riika, Jelena, Alba, Marte, Myriam, Gabriela - Gyuri
Food Sovereignty and PAR: Rita, Lanka, Beate, Tomas, - Mikaela
Ok
Ok
Ok
Ok
0034 628443001
Sim
0031-0)6-2543135
+351-916419605
Ok