This chapter describes the development of a Bahá'í international adult education program designed so that community service is both process and outcome. Particular emphasis is on the preparation of adult tutors.

"An empirical analysis of the creation, use and adoption of social computing applications IPTS exploratory research on the socio-economic impact of social computing Over the last few years, the take-up of social computing applications has been impressive. These digital applications are defined as those that enable interaction, collaboration and sharing between users. They include applications for blogging, podcasting, collaborative content (e.g. Wikipedia), social networking e.g. MySpace, Facebook, multimedia sharing (e.g. Flickr, YouTube), social tagging (e.g. Deli.cio.us) and social gaming (e.g. Second Life). The importance of social computing has been acknowledged by European policy makers. It is considered to be a potentially disruptive Information Society development, in which users play an increasingly influential role in the way products and services are shaped and used. This may have important social and economic impacts on all aspects of society. There is, however, little scientific evidence on the take-up and impact of social computing applications. The objective of this report is to provide a systematic empirical assessment of the creation, use and adoption of specific social computing application areas: blogging, podcasting, collaborative content, social networking multimedia sharing, social tagging and social gaming. In addition, the report offers a definition of social computing in order to clarify what is meant, in the face of many different angles, and points to the new area of mobile social computing. The dynamics of user participation in social computing are also discussed. Finally, extensive empirical data is presented in the Annex to this report. Research into social computing presents numerous challenges. Social computing is a moving target, with rapidly evolving technologies, markets and user behaviours, all of which have emerged and developed over just a few years. The measurement issue is a crucial, in particular in the context of policy imp

"New societal challenges for the European Union New challenges for social sciences and the humanities : thinking across boundaries : modernising European research Our modern world cannot live on fragmented knowledge and policies, and "business as usual" in research in social sciences and the humanities won't help. The European Commission is going a step further in addressing today's and tomorrow's major societal challenges that affect our citizens, the countries we cooperate with, and of course future generations of European citizens. The European Commission is launching large research cooperative projects of several million euros in social sciences and the humanities (at least EUR 6 500 000 for 2010) to address these societal challenges. This booklet explains how major changes will be required in the way researchers manage their projects, steer their interdisciplinary research and valorise their results in society at large. "

from the european union...

"This review surveys and divides the ethnographic corpus on digital media into three broad but overlapping categories: the cultural politics of digital media, the vernacular cultures of digital media, and the prosaics of digital media. Engaging these three categories of scholarship on digital media, I consider how ethnographers are exploring the complex relationships between the local practices and global implications of digital media, their materiality and politics, and their banal, as well as profound, presence in cultural life and modes of communication. I consider the way these media have become central to the articulation of cherished beliefs, ritual practices, and modes of being in the world; the fact that digital media culturally matters is undeniable but showing how, where, and why it matters is necessary to push against peculiarly narrow presumptions about the universality of digital experience."

relevant to Geanina's presentation on digital media

"Gaia Education promotes a holistic approach to education for sustainable development by developing curricula for sustainable community design. While drawing upon best practices within ecovillages worldwide, Gaia Education works in partnership with universities, ecovillages, government and non-government agencies and the United Nations. "

another boundary crossing project, systemically organised, combining various elements worldwide.

thank you for the link to deep ecology, "a contemporary ecological philosophy that claims to recognize the inherent worth of other beings aside from their utility. The philosophy emphasizes the interdependent nature of human and non-human life as well as the importance of the ecosystem and natural processes. It provides a foundation for the environmental, ecology and green movements and has fostered a new system of environmental ethics."

a different way of doing academia, by Evelin Gerda Lindner

The World at a Crossroad

"Here we present findings from the "Religion among Academic Scientists" study, a survey (N=1,646) and initial in-depth interviews (N=150) with natural and social scientists at twenty-one elite US research universities. We examine the attitudes academic scientists at these universities have about the perceived conflict between religion and science and their personal cultural construction of the boundaries between science and religion. Using survey data, results show that field-specific differences, being in the natural or social sciences, are not significant predictors of adopting the conflict paradigm, refuting previous research. Attention to in-depth interviews reveals three mechanisms of boundary-crossing, where boundaries between religion and science are transgressed: institutional pull, boundary pioneering, and environmental push. These results contribute key mechanisms of boundary change and boundary crossing between the specific knowledge domains of science and religion to the growing sociology of culture literature on boundaries."

what do you think?

merci Dora, let us look at religion & science as two sources of knowledge. In my case, I would be most familiar with the Bahai Faith (www.bahai.org) and I do believe that this Faith has a new contribution in the task of transforming society.

"Journal of Globalization for the Common Good (JGCG) is envisioned to enhance the well-being (both physical and spiritual) and prosperity of human kind by serving and promoting the common good through communication and cooperation. This will be based on the following principles:"

re: boundary crossing through dialogue

"Constructing a Conceptual Framework for Social Action explores a framework within which an individual concerned with the transformation of society acts and reflects on action. "

relevant to the course: transforming universities within and without

"We promote, develop, supply and support educational programs, studies, products and services that could introduce and address a new system of integrated education in collaboration with individuals and organizations who are dedicated to providing a comprehensive education to children worldwide."

"US researchers have discovered taking a nap while studying works even better if you dream about what you are trying to learn."

we should have a course on this.... if not, we can always practice in one of the classes...

"The Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity (ISGP) is a non-profit organization, dedicated to building capacity in individuals, groups and institutions to contribute to prevalent discourses concerned with the betterment of society."

a major sociological perspective worth looking at

Qualitative research exists in a time of global uncertainty. Around the world, governments are attempting to regulate scientific inquiry by defining what counts as 'good' science. These regula- tory activities raise fundamental, philosophical epistemological, political and pedagogical issues for scholarship and freedom of speech in the academy. This essay contests this methodological funda- mentalism, and interrogates the politics of re-emergent scientism, the place of qualitative research in mixed-methods experimentalism, and the pragmatic criticisms of anti-foundationalism. Further- more, it outlines three models of scientifically based research (SBR), and discusses how each is operative within the current historical conjuncture. In the process, it advocates for a qualitative research paradigm that is committed to social justice and the promise of radical, progressive democracy.

another article that advocates for a 'qualitative research paradigm that is committed to social justice' (abstract)

Phillip Clayton, California-based philosopher and theologian: "What we are hoping for is a cross-fertilization between two of the greatest forces of the human spirit - science and religion."

thank you guys. May I briefly comment on what Lucas said that science has its place and that religion should be separate. I would go as far as to say that religion needs to be looked at with a scientific mind and that today there can be no more room for superstition when our vision should be world-embracing. May I suggest as a basis an evolvinc conceptual framework for social action.(you can find it here: http://jmnau.wordpress.com/) What people do in private is different from what should be taught to every child the world over!

example of sustainable bank, discussed with Ateljevic; visions of transmodernity; could be an example of boundary crossing.

some authors are mentioned in our course: visions of transmodernity: Inglehart

if you are interested in virtues

I found this while googling: development across boundaries bahai