One big topic I keep running into is a need to respect different “ways of knowing.” Right now in our culture research science and academia rule the roost in respected ways of gaining knowledge; having an advanced degree or being published are our cultural indicators of knowledge possession. However, there are other valid ways of gaining knowledge -which, when recognized, increases our culture’s knowledge as a whole.
This article , from NASA’s Earth Observatory website, is a case study of how Inuit community knowledge was incorporated into climate change scientific research resulting in greater knowledge for both groups.
From the article:
“Weatherhead and Gearheard said they are intrigued by the insights that incorporate indigenous knowledge and climate studies, but they don’t want to stop there. The new study has sparked an interest in the type of environmental knowledge other communities could provide to climate scientists, from ranchers and farmers to indigenous groups. “When you treat these perspectives as different forms of evidence or knowledge and see where that takes you, that is when exciting stuff happens,” said Gearheard.”
One thing that was identified at both symposia is a need for translators to communicate between scientists and community.The values and methods of communicating with these two groups are very different, making direct communication nearly impossible.
The role of translator between scientist and community member is a role Environmental Educators have been playing for decades: making it real to the community how environmental science effects their everyday lives.
Perhaps Environmental Educators could translate their skills to other types of science – health, psychology, etc. Additionally, they may be able to help the communication flow from the community to scientists; pass on information about the community’s needs and therefore obtain their buy-in.
This strong connection to local communities with help scientists fulfill national grant standards and foster more relevant and valuable research.
“The new Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission, a group of 16 residents will be appointed to oversee the City’s relationship with neighborhoods and community organizations. The commission’s charge is to provide direction to the next phase of NRP and be primarily responsible for the review of neighborhood plans. The commission will also make recommendations to the City Council on allocation of a variety of types of funding to neighborhoods. Neighborhoods will have significant representation on the commission with eight residents selected by neighborhood organizations, five residents appointed by the City Council, two appointed by the Mayor, and one appointed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Through the input and work of the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission, residents and neighborhood organizations will play a key role in enhancing and shaping how the City engages its residents.”
Here are a few recent articles about the commission and the process of appointing members:
BUT there have been so many people visiting, and trying to visit, Grandma’s Graphics who saw it on BoingBoing that it broke the website. I’m sure it will be fixed shortly, and then we can see if this a treasure cove of images or a dud.
I’ve recently come across some great research and information about the way teenagers use the internet and social networking. I just started reading it all, but I think this research can provide insight about how to achieve our organizations’ missions by better utilizing new media and social networking. While the studies focus on teenagers, people of all ages – especially young adults – are plugged-in.
“Kids’ Informal Learning with Digital Media: An Ethnographic Investigation of Innovative Knowledge Cultures” is a three-year collaborative project funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Carried out by researchers at the University of Southern California and University of California, Berkeley, the digital youth project explores how kids use digital media in their everyday lives.
From the Introduction:
“While teenagers primarily leverage social network sites to engage in common practices, the properties of these sites configured their practices and teens were forced to contend with the resultant dynamics. Often, in doing so, they reworked the technology for their purposes. As teenagers learned to navigate social network sites, they developed potent strategies for managing the complexities of and social awkwardness incurred by these sites. Their strategies reveal how new forms of social media are incorporated into everyday life, complicating some practices and reinforcing others. New technologies reshape public life, but teens’ engagement also reconfigures the technology itself. “
While 25,000 gallons of liquid fertilizer dumped into the Mississippi is a very depressing event, it does bring the River and its environmental status to the forefront of the public’s mind. Making it the perfect time for a press release or home page online news story.
To see if anyone was taking advantage of this opportunity I checked the mostly likely websites (nonprofit and local and state gov.) and didn’t see any press releases or articles. It’s possible that I missed a response on those websites, but if I missed it the public and reporters may too.
It would be great see an article or news release that addresses lingering questions: what effect may the fertilizer have on the river? does it make a difference that this happened in winter and not summer? What kind of clean-up and monitoring is Canadian Pacific responsible for? Has something similar happened in the past and how did it work out? These questions could be used as lead-ins to whatever information your organization may what to get out to the public: “to learn more about water quality attend our program/check out our website”, etc.
