Though my doctoral research began as a fairly straightforward impact evaluation of forward-looking interventions (which I call “prospective exercises”), it evolved into a more complex piece of research and theory-building. Two of the ideas that emerged from this broader inquiry are: To understand the use and impacts of a prospective exercise (or similar future-oriented research) … [Read more…]
Over the past year I’ve sometimes been so consumed by worry and anxiety that it has been difficult to function as well as I’d like to. Some of the things that have caused me to worry have been rational concerns, broadly-speaking. For example, periods of unemployment and associated job searches can be highly stressful. At … [Read more…]
One of my intellectual side projects is to more fully develop sociological conceptions of knowledge practices. This inquiry builds on some of the analysis of prospective knowledge practices presented in my PhD thesis and will hopefully also inform other current work (e.g. work on the roles and effects of knowledge practices in transition processes). Below … [Read more…]
On a couple of occasions I’ve discussed Emma Marris’s important book Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World (e.g. link). I highly recommend reading it: you may not agree with all her arguments, but you will find it challenges and informs your thinking in ways that any book of the type ought to do. … [Read more…]
It’s probably fair to say that few concepts in the social sciences are the focus of as much confusion, and unclear debates and writing, as the concept of an institution. Well, I often find such writing and debates confusing. Do you, too? Scholars often define “institutions” very differently, variably interpret their effects (e.g. some view … [Read more…]
Today I attended an interesting discussion about the 2018 International Sustainability Transitions (IST) conference (via the Australian Sustainability Transitions Research Alliance [ASTRA]) at which conference attendees shared their thoughts and reflections on the conference. Running through multiple thoughts and observations seemed to be dissatisfaction with current theory and practice in relation to present sustainability issues … [Read more…]
I’ve been reflecting on my PhD work and some potential future directions for my research which build on my growing interest in knowledge-related aspects of sustainability transitions. This post sketches a few preliminary thoughts regarding what a research agenda focussed on these aspects of transitions could examine and why. An important line of inquiry in my … [Read more…]
This post draws heavily on two books: Theory and Society: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science by Peter Godfrey-Smith and A Realist Approach to Qualitative Research by Joseph Maxwell. If the ideas discussed are of interest, then these books are worth checking out as well as Cheryl Misak’s books on pragmatism. Godfrey-Smith (2003) defines … [Read more…]
I recently re-read Fligstein et al’s paper ‘Seeing Like the Fed’ which asks: “Why was the FOMC [Federal Open Market Committee that sets monetary policy in the USA] so sanguine in its economic projections?” That is, why were the FOMC “so slow to recognize the impending collapse of the financial system [during the GFC] and … [Read more…]
I recently discovered Kevin deLaplante’s great podcast The Critical Thinker (link). An episode that recently got my interest discusses Mercier and Sperber’s argumentative theory reason, a theory of human reason that I used in my doctoral research. Similarly to my approach of mobilising insights from both social and psychological/cognitive sciences to understand and enhance knowledge … [Read more…]