We, humans have our roots in pre-Anthropocene eras where we gathered skills for survival and establishing our culture. The cumulated tacit knowledge, the skills, ideas and experiences that can only be shared by personal contact and mutual trust, is evolved and cumulated during this pre-Anthropocene era. This tacit knowledge is geared to our existence and to local circumstances, it isthe indigenous knowledge necessary for local adaptation and for (cultural) perseverance. The Anthropocene era however, is characterized by rapid changes with respect to environment, climate, food sovereignty, culture and more. Our tacit knowledge needs to evolve and adapt at the same pace as changes happen in our environment and culture. Changes in the Anthropocene era are fastand disruptive thereby challenging concomitant evolution of our tacit knowledge
Empowerment is een centraal begrip in het hedendaagse pedagogisch denken en handelen. In dit artikel wordt empowerment besproken in het licht van de positieve psychologie: een stroming in de psychologie die bestudeerd hoe het welbevinden en optimaal functioneren van mensen kan worden bevorderd.In de positieve psychologie heeft recent een paradigmaverschuiving plaatsgevonden. De interactie tussen individu en omgeving wordt niet langer begrepen in termen van causaliteit maar vanuit het narratief van complexiteit. In dit narratief wordt de interactie tussen individu en omgeving opgevat als een complex dynamisch systeem waarin er zelden sprake is vandirecte oorzaak-gevolg relaties (lineaire causaliteit). Bij het ontstaan van empowerment spelen zowel multi-causaliteit, multi-finaliteit als circulaire causaliteit een rol. Empowerment wordt in dit artikel dan ook niet beschouwd als een inherent psychisch kenmerk van een individu, maar als iets dat zich vormt op basis van iemands dagelijkse ervaringen in interactie met zijn socialeomgeving.In dit artikel onderzoeken we wat het denken vanuit het perspectief van complex dynamische systemen betekent voor de pedagogische visie op empowerment en welke gevolgen dit heeft voor interventies in de pedagogische praktijk.TREFWOORDENEmpowerment, Complexiteit, Complex Dynamische Systemen, Positieve Psychologie, Sociale interventies, Zelfregie, Eigen Kracht, AgencyABSTRACT- ENGLISHIn the Netherlands, empowerment plays a major role in the daily work of pedagogues and in social policies. Empowerment is closely related to the assumptions of positive psychology. This is a scientific approach that focuses on strengths instead of weaknesses, building the good in life instead of repairing the bad. Empowerment also is about taking control of one’s life and by doingso enhancing wellbeing. Therefore empowerment fits the concept of positive psychology.Recently there has been a paradigm shift in positive psychology where research is going beyond the individual person as the primary focus of enquiry and is looking more deeply at the groups and systems in which people are embedded: less in terms of causality and more as a narrative of complexity. In this narrative, the interaction between individuals and the environment is seen as a complex dynamic system.In this article we discuss empowerment and agency in the light of complexity and the implications for the daily work of pedagogues.
The challenges we collectively face, such as climate change, are characterized by more complexity, interdependence, and dynamism than is common for educational practice. This presents a challenge for (university) education. These transition challenges are often described as wicked or VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) problems. In response, educational innovations that are inspired by ecology such as living labs are starting to emerge, but little is known about how learners engage within and with these more ecological forms of education. This work is an exploratory study into how learners navigate VUCA learning environments linked to tackling sustainability transition challenges, with a focus on the positive qualities of these experiences. This is done through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of seven students (using semi-structured interviews) of the MSC Metropolitan Analysis, Design and Engineering program, a joint degree from Wageningen University and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The main findings, which are both psychological and educational, of this exploration include openness to new experiences (1), flexibility (2), a process appreciation of learning (3), a desire to create a positive impact on one’s direct biophysical environment (4) and society (5). In addition, we discuss the potential limitations of the malleability of these different qualities and propose future avenues for research into ecological learning for universities. This work closes by highlighting recommendations for educators to consider when designing or engaging in ecological forms of higher education that connect students to sustainability transitions.
