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AbstractThe paper will refer to research work that illustrates the researcher as chorographer (one practised in the art of systematic description of regions) and choreographer (one practised in the design of dance arrangements) of the emotions. The authors experienced this transformation when they developed and tested a conversational model of learning and change based on the biological systems work of Chilean scientist Humberto Maturana. Hawkesbury Agricultural College (which became part of the University of Western Sydney in 1989) was a fertile field for research and consulting that understood learning as change taking place in a relational space, over time, and as a consequence of engagements shaped by the participants' emotions. The use of participatory and collaborative methods to bring about change demanded an explanatory system that located the usefulness of these practices in what was understood as the biology of living systems and cognitive science. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AbstractThis paper reflects on theory evolution from the perspective of considering the role that complexity science might have in social theorizing and research. We assume that just as human society is complex, dynamic, interdependent, and with future states emerging with reference to complex histories, so too are human explanations and theories. With reference to a complexity approach to postmodern ethnography, that of vortical postmodern ethnography, we make manifest the dynamic and interdependent nature of theory building, with human actor/observers and discourse evolution. We suggest that a complexity perspective on social research and theorizing may be most valuable for its role in bringing about alternative descriptions, rather than promoting certain interventions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AbstractThis paper describes the development of a conceptual model of agriculture at the Faculty of Agriculture, Hawkesbury Agricultural College, during the early 1980s. The model was a tool in a learning/researching process that was driven by the increasing complexity of problems/issues facing Australian agriculture over that period. The path took us from seeing agriculture as a science discipline‐focused, mechanistic view of agriculture to a systemic model that incorporated people as an essential component. The phases that we went through included: 'agriculture as a production activity', 'agriculture as applied ecology', 'agriculture as a mechanical (hard) system', and 'agriculture as a human activity system'. Each phase was incorporated into the next so that the final model was able to be usefully used in approaching on‐farm scientific and technical issues, managerial and information flow/communication issues, and social and cultural issues. It also placed farming as an activity within the wider social and biophysical environment, which encouraged study of the impact of agriculture on the soil and water resources as well as the fate of rural communities. The model was generated through a process of action research and thus was consistent with the growing educational philosophy of the Faculty. It was a collaborative process that drew on the expertise of members of the Faculty and on a wide range of literature. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AbstractOne of the most significant and enduring ideas associated with the systems initiatives at Hawkesbury has been the interconnections that were made there between systemic acts of development in the 'concrete world' and the abstract 'epistemic developments' of the actors who participate in them. Each is seen to be constitutive of the other in a profoundly systemic manner, with 'concrete events' being both influenced by and an influence on 'abstract ideas'. The embrace of critical experiential strategies, which themselves are regarded as essentially systemic and reflexive in nature, has been a central feature of the pedagogies, research processes, and engagement strategies that have been designed to better facilitate this interconnection. As calls for more sustainable and equitable forms of development gather momentum across the globe, and the citizenry become increasingly engaged with issues that are seen to pose significant systemic global risks, the need for collective, communicative experiential strategies in the form of systemic discourse becomes evident. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AbstractThis paper discusses the theory of Systemic Action Research and its use in postgraduate research education, in the context of agriculture and rural development. The paper discusses what systems thinking is and introduces the concepts of Systemic Development. This is followed by an argument for a paradigm shift in how agriculture is viewed, and an associated shift in education from teaching to learning. The core ideas of action research are then described and illustrated by two case studies drawn from PhD research projects supervised by the authors. Introducing the ideas of technical, practical, and emancipatory action research, the paper further expands upon these concepts of action research, illuminated by two additional PhD projects. Overall the paper demonstrates the usefulness of Systemic Action Research as the basis for postgraduate research to deal with real contextual issues in their true complexity, and in a holistic way. In this process, genuine participation and the encouragement of diversity are seen as rights rather than as means to greater research efficiency, thus giving power to people to act through the generation of knowledge by critical reflection. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.