Insider Voices

A report on a piece of action research carried out at Bath University. The format is novel in using colour coding for the reader to identify who is speaking and what links to make between different elements in the report. The research assumptions are set out at the beginning, as is the nature of action research, which may be unfamiliar to many people. There follows an account of six action research engagements across a number of sectors including food, biogas, engineering, heating technology, energy and clothing. The reader gets a multi dimensional impression of the processes and outcomes and is then led into the theoretical section which discusses the social shaping of technology, a sociotechnical transition framework, various forms of power and resistance to change, and even different narratives, which clearly determine what people can see and which connections they make. The final section uses the four quadrant model of Ken Wilber. The report suggests ten ingredients for low carbon change which include building networks and relationships, systemic thinking and amplifying feedback so as to drive the change process. This leads in turn to the formulation of key issues for policymakers and research funders. The really interesting thing about this piece of work is the methodology and the subtle insights which emerge from it. My guess is that many of the recommendations could be applied to other issues and in other circumstances.