Shock – horror – incomprehension. Those were the words that came to me when asked how I was doing after the Trump volcanic/landslide election results. I also felt shock when seeing the recent images of floods in Spain too. Shock but not surprise. I want to be careful not to catastrophize.
I read the election as opening a new political order. It strengthens the rising global hard right with its mix of chaotic, disruptive and patriarchal-authoritarian dynamics. I see voters made vulnerable by their economic anxieties. If this is a populist revolution, at least it’s peaceful, so far. Still, I feel horror. Voters’ motivations – based in real economic struggles – have never been linked to the real dynamics that will cause those struggles to persist: a global financial system that drives social inequality, rising ecological calamity, etc. The promised short-term lifts will be reached through a mix of denial, tariffs, authoritarian policing while necessary political distraction will call for a warmed up war between genders, attacks on immigrants and nationalism in increasing disinformation. Perhaps you remember the date the great dictator of Octavia Butler’s dystopian novel The Parable of the Sower rises. Yep, Nov 6, 2024. But I promised myself no catastrophizing.
The ecological stakes have never been so high. Decades- and centuries- long dynamics are coming undone. Our familiar home – ecology/economy – is coming undone. I watch the Climate COP talks hosted by Azerbaijan, a petrostate, chaired by a leader known to be making fossil fuel deals on the side. This suits a hard right, Earth destroying agenda. How is this not a dystopian nightmare? But I promised myself no catastrophizing. I even have moments of breakthrough hope. Cultural evolution is needed. No question. Perhaps the coming disruptive chaos could also open doors and windows barricaded by stifling conventions and corrupt policy.
Paul Hawken’s notion of Blessed Unrest pops to mind. It refers to the diversity, brilliance and innovation of millions who do work to transform the roots of the conditions that have given rise to today’s dystopia. It is slow work that transforms the consciousness and relationships of those involved. It ripples into, rather than wrecks, the old systems. It is relational work that slowly improves lives.
I count action researchers – for me this describes all who take a participatory approach to knowledge processes no matter their preferred label – as part of this blessed unrest. we look internally for hope.
Action Researchers have long been committing epistemic disobedience, long reimagining and practicing learning that moves us away from the sterile technocratic solutions now being refuted. I get to see it daily in the articles that come from around the globe and onto my desk as editor in chief of the Action Research journal. The participative action researching has many expressions. For example, it is anti-racism work with an appreciative spirit (Gebhard, et al. 2024); it is a family centric bereavement program after the suicide of a child (Ghetti, et al, 2024); it’s taking boys seriously in a way that helps avert toxic masculinity (Hamilton, et al 2024); it’s reducing pollution in India with new cooking technology (Ghergu et al, 2024). These are only the most recent in 21 years of publications. These are throughtopian works – between dystopia and utopia – they show us the way through that is actually happening.
Often local, action research is spreading wide. It is a slow movement that is academia adjacent. At its heart it seeks to value and clarify what human experience has to teach us. Then it put insights into action in working with system actors in transforming their local systems and themselves. In sharing these examples – all papers referred to above are open access – it lets others know what’s possible. Its power lies as much in what those involved are learning – as how. It is participative, democratic and ecological work. It transforms power relations that have stymied the many; it frees up creativity. Importantly it’s very practical. Therefore, it’s a break from the endless and wordy formulations of postmodernism and critical theory. It realizes real world improvement. Because it engages with real people in real life, system actors become co-actors in systems change. It works. It’s hard work. Often it’s enjoyable because liberating. The experiential action orientation welcomes multiple ways of knowing about our world and ourselves. This is evident in the rise of using more of the arts. Therefore, the system actors involved grow more confidence in turning toward, and learning from, their own experience. In that lies the possibility for being less easily hoodwinked by disinformation.
In this new Trumpian world order I draw on my well of radical hope within. In conversation with developmental friends recently the hope leads to confidence and then resolve. I want the action research path to become better known, especially in universities, so it may spread further to transform the resignation and the anxiety that is so pervasive, especially among the young. Action research contrasts with conventional, authoritarian/expert-minded knowledge processes by offering a next level beyond the dominance of statistical models, lectures, information downloads, abstraction. Action research, however, is not much rewarded. Its values are rooted in a different ground.
If Hegel was right (betting on dialectic pendulum swings remains a good bet I’d say), then the next swing is toward more democratic, less extractive ways of living with ourselves, one another and within our larger ecology. The transformation required is huge. It’s spiritual. It requires more of us to find our own paths, balance short term with longer term horizons. More of us will have to trade up from our private reactivity to the scarier option of digging deeper toward a life-enhancing world with others. It requires more action research!
Instead of catastrophizing after the USA election results, I bought and planted apple trees.
Reflection and conversation replaced the initial shock, horror, incomprehension with hope, confidence, resolve. (Thanks to developmental friends Amiel & Kristen!)
May our great human intelligence and boundless creativity serve social-ecological – spiritual transformations. Peaceful, evolutionary steps (in terms of mindset, community and horticulture) are always possible.
All the examples of action research mentioned are open access:
Gebhard, A., Allen, W. S., & Pino, F. (2024). Antiracism in appreciative inquiry: Generative tensions and collective reflexivity. Action Research, 22(4), 345-361. https://doi.org/10.1177/14767503231210418
Ghergu, C. T., Sushama, P., de Witte, L. P., & Meershoek, A. (2024). How to (mis)align participatory approaches with the everyday life? Construction of an improved cookstove in India. Action Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14767503241234495
Ghetti, C. M., Schreck, B., & Bennett, J. (2024). Heartbeat recordings in music therapy bereavement care following suicide: Action research single case study of amplified cardiopulmonary recordings for continuity of care. Action Research, 22(4), 362-380. https://doi.org/10.1177/14767503231207993
Hamilton, A., Morgan, S., Murphy, B., & Harland, K. (2024). Taking boys seriously: Utilising participatory action research to tackle compounded educational disadvantage. Action Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14767503241226894
