SIG: Balancing Individualism and Collectivism

Balancing Individualism and Collectivism
Balancing Individualism and Collectivism

Launch Year	2000

Chair	Janet McIntyre
Other Organizers	Assisted by hub leaders Patricia Lethole Ida Widianingsih Riswanda Riswanda Mpho Dichaba Kgomotso Nyamakazi Siphiwe Buthelezi
Key Domains	intersection of sociology, development studies, socio-cybernetics, ethics and critical systemic praxis
Notable Achievements	Numerous Springer publications
Links	External Links

The Balancing Individualism and Collectivism Special Integration Group was launched...

Focus of the Action Research SIG

The focus of the Balancing Individualism and Collectivism SIG at the ISSS is defined t....

The SIG also focuses on the coherence of AR and other SIGs in the ISSS. The last focus was on the Critical Social Theory perspective that some action researchers share with Critical Systems Thinking.

The SIG works at the intersection of sociology, development studies, socio-cybernetics, ethics and critical systemic praxis applied through participatory design and governance.

Furthermore, the SIG Members use systemic intervention in grounded, prefigurative case studies. Our shared aim is to address both social and environmental justice. To this end, we focus on affirmative interventions to support multispecies relationships that honour the indigenous wisdom of local people, in order to address a) complex health, housing, employment and social inclusion needs and b) mitigation and adaptation to climate change with a focus on food, water and energy security in local areas. discusses ways to foster engagement at the local level with a community of practice spanning cultures and disciplines to prefigure change at the local level focusing on social enterprises that address food and water security.

The patterns of engagement that could contribute to the human stewardship of habitat are:

Recognition of the interdependency of living systems and understanding the implications of ‘interbeing’ for social and environmental justice.
Making ongoing policy adjustments in context. This requires new forms of organizational relationships that redress power imbalances that lead to social, economic and environmental injustice and ‘existential risk’ (Bostrom, 2011).
Appreciation of cycles for regeneration in designs that sustain living systems. This requires rural-urban balance to protect habitat for domestic, farm and wildlife based on requisite variety (Ashby, 1956) that spans multiple species.

Chairs, Members and Reading Materials

Members

The members comprise a CoP drawn from established academics , emerging scholars , members of the community , community leaders and Indigenous custodians. The joint publications evidence a wide group of participants