Decision Making Processes in Grassroots Collectives As Stories and Fractals of Adult Learning and Personal, Social and Ecological Change
The Slow Revealing of Change: Decision Making Processes in Grassroots Collectives as Stories and Fractals of Adult Learning and Personal, Social and Ecological Change by Erika Isabella Zárate A Thesis presented to The University of Guelph In partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Capacity Development and Extension Guelph, Ontario, Canada © Erika Zárate, September, 2014 ABSTRACT THE SLOW REVEALING OF CHANGE: DECISION MAKING PROCESSES OF GRASSROOTS COLLECTIVES AS STORIES AND FRACTALS OF ADULT LEARNING AND PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHANGE Erika Zárate Advisor: University of Guelph, 2014 Professor Al Lauzon The decision making processes of social and ecological change grassroots collectives (SECGCs) do not only promote change at a community level, but are exemplary enactments of such change. These processes are principled, critically reflective, relational and self-organized, and more so when there is a high degree of connectivity within and between individual SECGCs. SECGCs embody narrative and fractal behaviour that, upon assessment, could contribute significantly to their organizational learning, and subsequent social and ecological change work. In order to assess the self-balancing fractal nature of SECGCs, this research study proposes the use of a Fractal Organization Model and its accompanying table of characteristics of self-balancing fractal SECGCs. The model contains four elements, or nodes, that represent the existing or potential strengths of a SECGC membership, its value and belief system, its decision making processes, and its collective actions for social and ecological change. However, in addition to understanding the nodes of a fractal SECGC, it is also imperative to explore and assess the relationships between these nodes.
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