don’t think so. it was started by @quantum.ethos
That’s correct. Thanks Martin and Robert for your responses. I’ve sent Rufus a message to ask whether he knows anything about the thread deletion or can help us to understand what happened? I’ll wait to hear from him. Please let me know if you hear anything. In any case, would you suggest I join this Friday’s May 22 live discussion? I hesitate to post anything else here, since first experience of getting one’s thread deleted is not a very positive one, lol.
Is this it? It looks like Rufus has been rearranging.
That’s one of the threads to which I originally posted, before seeing your positive response to the idea of a potential subcircle on Collective Action and the “intermediate” level… So no, that’s not the new thread I posted. In any case, while I’m waiting to see whether Rufus can shed any light on what may have happened to the thread, I did want to say that since at least you indicated a clear interest, I’d be happy to partner with you for any next steps to getting such a subcircle set up. And I’d be happy to join this Friday’s call on whatever the topic is just to begin getting to know folks on the call. So will be happy to follow your direction on any next steps for setting up a Collective Action subcircle, per your previous note:
Cheers,
Sounds good to me!
In context of another thread, I had Gemini hack an outline of what 2R would be if it involved a college degree program. I wanted this because I wanted to see if there was a through line to the many topics. Based on that, I would situate collective action research at the Year 4, Semester 2 level (Cap-Project) with perhaps theoretical motivation coming in around Year 3 with all the systems theory. My personal bent is to jump right into action research (post-graduate work?), but the center of gravity in the research calls has been more about airing out alternative theoretical frameworks or arguing that this or that conceptual starting point is the right way consider matters. (Or that somebody else’s starting point is the wrong way to consider matters!) So lots of cycling around this theorist or that. My sensibilities are more “all of the above”.
As a practical matter, to start a collective action subcircle, you and I should just decide to do that, then do it. Others can join (or not join) depending on how the spirit moves them!
That direct and practical approach sounds good to me, Robert! And to give you a sense of where I’m coming from in exploring this topic, since it may be different from the academic approach your post suggests (which is fine, since our differences in approach may be generative), I am definitely approaching this topic as a non-academic action researcher, interested these days in discovering effective, supportive frameworks of sense-making that help everyday folks to break through collective action bottlenecks to solve our real and pressing political problems of not knowing how to build solidarity ACROSS differences of view, ideology, ethnicity, etc.
If we’re not able to provide a framework for regenerative collective action that doesn’t require an advanced academic degree to access, then we’re not getting very far. Which is not to say that it may not require an advanced academic degree to cut thru all the crap that gets in the way of our being able to understand what such a framework would be! 
So if you have a more academic-institutional framework in mind, I do NOT see that as a problem, since the interplay of our two different perspectives may actually be quite helpful here, especially since your post already indicates your overall openness to both the “all of the above” and the action research perspective.
My post-doc work was in “community-based participatory research” in public health, so I’m definitely familiar with all the tensions, good and bad, that come into play when those with Ph.Ds begin to try to practice action research in ways that will actually benefit and be in collaboration with regular people in communities. In any case, I look forward to the collaboration with you on this, and I’m very open to being open and seeing what develops within any particular group that will come together to discuss these issues here, whatever their epistemic starting-points may be.
Cheers,
Just join the call and see if you like it. Usually very friendly.
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The only reason I used the “4-year curriculum” prompt was as a metaphor. I’ll be retired from my tenured faculty position 6 weeks from now, and I really don’t want to set up another version of that! Also, 4 years of formal study to master a body of content is not at all efficient nowadays. Suppose we wanted people to process that exact content. The efficiency platform would be something like a YouTube channel, a wiki, an online forum, and perhaps a website with suggested AI prompts. It should not take 4 years!
The one thing I do want to carry over from the 4-year curriculum metaphor is sense of direction. Everyone has their favorite authors, theories, frameworks, etc. No worries there. But what is the connective tissue? Why do we need to study any of it? How does it fit into solutions or coping strategies for current social challenges?
On the mechanics of an action research subcircle, it strikes me the organization of that is conceptually pretty simple. Just set up shop as an action research subcircle and use action research to refine the format from there! Try something, see how it works, reflect on that, make adjustments, try again. Doesn’t really need a lot of ceremony!
Exactly, and Amen! And congrats on your retirement!
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