I recently received an inquiry as to how a reading group might be formed to read Riane Eisler's Real Wealth of Nations.
As this is called an ACTION Blog that is what I am going to suggest: ACTION RESEARCH, a kind of community research that I am passionate for, a kind of research that more than collecting static data, creates change in people's lives. So here is a short opening for how you and friend's might have a very exciting research project while reading The Real Wealth of Nations.
Forms of Action Research are now widely used in education. One private university has a project inquiring into White Privelege that has gone on for years, and I will venture to say, changed lives of many.
Here is a quick draft of the method I prefer:
One Way to do Research Reading the Real Wealth of Nations
By Nancy Peden
1. Two people discuss/plan having a group to “do” action research into RWN and HOW they notice, how they use or don’t, parts or all of the data found in RWN in their own lives.
2. Intiators send an invitation to inquire into a reading of RWN to a group of possible members and present a first meeting.
First Meeting Check List for Initiators:
• Welcome and introductions, helping people feel at home.
• Introduction by initiators: the broad topic of inquiry, the reading of RWN, to be considered.
• People discuss what they have heard informally in pairs, followed by questions and discussion, leading to possible modifications of the inquiry topic.
• Introduction to the process of action research (aka co-operative inquiry). Initiators are advised to make it clear that there will be 1. cognitive material, 2. emotional material and 3. political material that may be shared. If participants are unable to understand or dislike these criteria they may not feel comfortable or be able to do the research as all three “strands” will invariably arise.
• Whole group or pairs discussion followed by questions, whole group discussion, with an airing of views on the how they understand what has been presented personally. The political, the pyschological and the philosophical are welcome.
• Clarification of criteria for joining the inquiry group.
• Practical discussion: number of cycles, dates, times, venues, financial and other commitments.
• Self-assessment exercise in pairs. Individuals use the criteria to assess whether they wish to include themselves in the group or not.
• Conclude with a clear agreement, contract, of how the group will be run. While this can be modified, it will be much easier if it is clear from the start.
(based on Heron and Reason, Handbook for Action Research, 2000, pg. 186)
MORE on Using Action Research to Read The Real Wealth of Nations:
In action research/co-operative inquiry a group of people come together and devise a do-it-ourselves inquiry into experiences of their own extended and deepened reality, making sense of it according to their own lights.
One of Eisler’s strong points, I believe, is the presenting of logic and data in a way that is scholarly and mostly accessible, though some complain of the writing being too scholarly. (If this occurs, slow down, and help the questioner, find out and “deconstruct” the hinderances. If this is done well the whole group will learn something; there is a load of information when we do this together with respect, the process can transform everyone’s understanding. In cooperative inquiry this is welcoming the “devil’s advocate” and can be very helpful in revealing hidden issues in the group or the material.)
Action research/co-operative inquiry is a very simple idea but like all groups, it can be a challenge to sustain and come to coherent, useful outcomes. Here, reading and noticing how we can apply what we are reading, action research seems especially useful.
It is just two or more people researching a topic through their own experience of it, using a series of cycles in which they move between this experience and reflecting together on it.
In this instance, the reading of Real Wealth of Nations, I suggest that each member keep a journal with “data” that they collect after meeting and reading, to share at the next meeting. Data can be almost anything: a song that came to mind, a gesture in response to some thing noticed, a poem, a thought, a journal writing.
It is persons in reciprocal relation using the full range of their sensibilities to inquire together into any aspect of the human condition with which an open body-mind can engage. In the inquiry cycles, the inquirers are moving between fours ways of knowing:
• They conceptually define a topic, area of interest, from RWN for their inquiry and devise a method of exploring it in action. (Going through daily life noticing and journaling between meetings has often worked well.)
• They practically apply that method in their own daily actions, say noting in the journal as something occurs or reflecting at some special time on what they have noticed. (The closer to the event or the noticing, often the “better”, more succinct, more clear, the reflection.)
• In so doing they engage experientially with the domain of practice (here caring in regards to real wealth proposed by RWN).
• Then they review this phase of action and experience:
1. first grasping the whole pattern of it intuitively, (i.e., what they have read and how they are intuitely feeling it in daily moments).
2. then appraising it conceptually (as an idea),
3. re-evaluating their starting topic in the light of it, and
4. planning another and modified phase of action and experience in order to deepen their knowing and understanding of their own experience based on reading and refelcting on RWN.
This process goes on for several cycles of inquiry, so that these four ways of knowing become more comprehensively engaged with the topic and its domain, and more congruent with each other, both within each inquirer and, with due allowance for individual perspectives, within the group as a whole.
Some other tips:
1. Start each group with a kind of invocation, acknowledgement and appreciative reflection on how people are showing up and why the group is meeting. A circle of some kind is usually most comfortable, chairs, cushions, etc. so that everyone feels equal. Close each meeting similarly, getting clear what happens next and appreciating everyone for participating.
2. Two initiators explain the intentions of reading, reflecting and collecting data on lived experience in between meetings. That is, perhaps assign a section, that is, choose a direction. This is your question to research after and during each meeting.
3. Between meetings, each individual “carries” the question/reading with them noticing in their daily lives how or how not the material is experienced:
a. based on felt feelings and emotional reactions
b. thoughts and ideas
c. stories and images
By using these “different ways” of knowing, the group becomes a welcoming place for people who experience the material differently. Instead of judgement, interest in the uniqueness of the individuals “data” becomes dominant.
4. In co-operative inquiry, 6-8 cycles of action and reflection, are seen as enough to come to some valid conclusions that above all should be useful to the group. This one power of this kind of research: it is the actually act of doing the research that matters and the outcome is intended to be useful. This seems ideal to “test” concepts based on RWN.
5. The group can continue as long as it likes, but frequent time during meetings should be spent on checking in, and seeing how the process is working for all and whether there needs to be an adjustment to the meetings, methods or the “question” (i.e., material in RWN) being researched.
6. In a best case scenario, for me, the group could then “present” their “data findings” somehow in a community event, such as a forum or art show. Most of all they will have put the RWN to the test and added it to their lives. This to me, would be a great outcome.
For a .pdf of these same instructions click here:Download rwn_reading_group_research_suggestions.pdf (Forgive the typos for now please.)
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