Activities to Develop Systems Thinking

Six activities to develop systems thinking are described and discussion questions follow. The activities involve the creation and discussion of(1) to parts and back again, (2) points of view, (3)  making a model, (4) what happens if? (5) how do they feel? and (6) playing the scene. The activities bear importantly on the ability to comprehend systems, the aquisition of system thinking, and the understanding of human cognition, cybernetics, education, inquiry, pedagogy, and social systems.

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Practicing Peace: Four Levels of Peacemaking

In addition to the national level, peace involves conflict managment on the intrapersonal, inter-personal, community and gloabl levels. Practicing peace offers pragmatic and innovative tools for  conflict resolution at each level. Examples of these tools serve to illustrate the range of techniques for peacemaking. (This piece is a collaboration of authors.) Full Text Click Here: Practicing Peace: Four Levels of Peacemaking

Emergence of Architectural Phenomena in the Human Habitation of Space

Considering the impact on human beings and human activities of architectural decisions in the design of space for human habitation, this chapter discusses the increasingly evident and necessary confluence in contemporary times of many disciplines and human-oriented sciences, with architecture being the meeting ground to know emergent phenomena of human habitation. As both a general rubric and a specific phenomenon, architectural emergence is the chosen focus of discussion and other phenomena are related to it. Attention is given to the phenomena of architectural induction, emergence, and convergence as having strategic and explanatory value in understanding tensions between two competing mentalities, the global domineering nature-for-humans attitude, in opposition to the lesser practiced humans-for-nature attitude.   Full text click here: Emergence 0f architectural phenomena...

Research Ethics in Action: Cybernetic, Praxiological, and Systemic Perspectives in An Evaluation System

Cybernetic and systemic aspects in one kind of an evaluation system are described. A conceptual system of ethics based heavily on praxiology is introduced. The convergence of the three perspectives is illustrated in a social system, whose primary purpose is the examination of risk to and protection of human beings to be used for research purposes. It is argued that this kind of evaluation system manifests research ethics in action. Full text click here: Research Ethics in Action...

enra

enra ÉNRA an autobiography Preface

Now an old man, Énra felt he was dying. He was dying. Dying slowly, so slowly that only in recent years had he realized its power. It was the gradual decline in his physical strength that drew his attention to question. He was unable to do as much and for as long as in his earlier years. He became tired too quickly he thought and sought to nap where earlier he required none.

story of Énra