Jennifer Gidley
Author, Psychologist, Climate Educator & International Futures Researcher
Principal at Global Futures Education now offering Climate Change Education (Online).
Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS) Sydney.
Leading researcher and global thought leader on the urgency of "new thinking" to navigate the complexity of global futures.
Expertise in climate change education, educational futures, and sustainable futures.
Recent books include "The Future: A Very Short Introduction" (Oxford University Press, 2017), "Postformal Education: A Philosophy for Complex Futures" (Springer, 2016), and "The Secret to Growing Brilliant Children: Volume 1: Steiner Education for the 21st Century" (Bear Books, 2020).
My research, speaking and consulting in educational futures and new thinking have taken me to many parts of Europe, USA, Middle East and Asia.
As former President of the World Futures Studies Federation (2009-2017), a UNESCO and UN ECOSOC partner and the global peak body for futures studies, I represented the world’s leading futures academics from over 60 countries.
I serve on editorial boards of several academic journals and have published over 50 academic papers. I co-edited the books “University in Transformation” (2000) and “Youth Futures” (2002), and the special Journal issues: “Global Mindset Change” (2010) and “Educational Futures” (2012).
Address: Melbourne, Australia
Principal at Global Futures Education now offering Climate Change Education (Online).
Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS) Sydney.
Leading researcher and global thought leader on the urgency of "new thinking" to navigate the complexity of global futures.
Expertise in climate change education, educational futures, and sustainable futures.
Recent books include "The Future: A Very Short Introduction" (Oxford University Press, 2017), "Postformal Education: A Philosophy for Complex Futures" (Springer, 2016), and "The Secret to Growing Brilliant Children: Volume 1: Steiner Education for the 21st Century" (Bear Books, 2020).
My research, speaking and consulting in educational futures and new thinking have taken me to many parts of Europe, USA, Middle East and Asia.
As former President of the World Futures Studies Federation (2009-2017), a UNESCO and UN ECOSOC partner and the global peak body for futures studies, I represented the world’s leading futures academics from over 60 countries.
I serve on editorial boards of several academic journals and have published over 50 academic papers. I co-edited the books “University in Transformation” (2000) and “Youth Futures” (2002), and the special Journal issues: “Global Mindset Change” (2010) and “Educational Futures” (2012).
Address: Melbourne, Australia
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Welcome to "Global Futures of Climate”, the first Course in our series on Global Systems designed for individuals and organisations committed to facing global challenges and finding solutions.
This self-paced, online Climate Education Course is scientifically-based, and incredibly well researched to give you a deep understanding of our emerging world, providing a solid basis for you to build your personal, professional, and family futures. The innovative solutions offered align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This peer-reviewed material, previously published in a range of journals and scholarly books, is brought together for the first time as a single reference work. It is designed for all readers: parents, teachers, education researchers, and government policy makers.
It was translated by the The Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities
Discover new connections across hundreds of topics with the Very Short Introductions series – in print or online.
Learn more: http://www.veryshortintroductions.com/
© Oxford University Press
The book offers a new educational philosophy to awaken the creative, big-picture and long-term thinking that will help equip students to face tomorrow’s challenges. Inside, readers will find a dialogue between adult developmental psychology research on higher stages of reasoning and today’s most evolved education research and practice. This dialogue reveals surprising links between play and wisdom, imagination and ecology, holism and love.
The overwhelming issues of global climate crisis, growing economic disparity and the youth mental health epidemic reveal how dramatically the current education model has failed students and educators. This book raises a planet-wide call to deeply question how we actually think and how we must educate. It articulates a postformal education philosophy as a foundation for educational futures.
The book will appeal to educators, educational philosophers, pre-service teacher educators, educational and developmental psychologists and educational researchers, including postgraduates with an interest in transformational educational theories designed for the complexity of the 21st century.
- Introduces the US psychology research on postformal reasoning to a global audience.
- Seriously examines the full educational implications of postformal psychology.
- Connects postformal psychology with post-formal approaches to education.
- Integrates diverse “alternative” pedagogies into a postformal education philosophy.
The scope of the ‘futures in education’ research to date includes three major areas:
– the research with young people (mostly in school settings) which explores their views and visions of the future,
– the actual teaching of futures concepts, tools and processes in school settings,
– the speculative research into transformative educational models and approaches which have futures/foresight thinking as part of their worldview
The first of these areas provides a context for how young people see themselves in regard to ‘the future’ and why ‘futures’ processes are so valuable for them. The second will include an analysis of the current ‘state of play’ in futures education in schools and also some examples of ‘good practice’ at the primary and secondary levels. The third area points to a possible future of futures education which goes beyond ‘futures’ as isolated
lessons or subjects to where foresight is part of the meme rather than periheral.
The Monograph summarises and discusses the research to date. This is followed by a task analysis which highlights areas of strength and weakness and point to gaps in the research corpus. The implications of the existing theory, research and practice for developing foresight literacy in the future are then considered.
Finally, there is an exploration of ways of conceptualising research in futures education, including the identification of some specific research tasks that could be undertaken in the short to medium term.
Generally, youth are considered immature, irresponsible toward the future, cliquish, impressionistic, and dangerous toward self and others. They are considered as a mass market--two billion strong--the passive recipients of globalization. Most recently in OECD nations, youth have become fodder for political speeches--they are the problem that reflects both the failure of the welfare state (dependence on the state), the failure of globalization (unemployment), and postmodernism (loss of meaning and the crisis of the spirit). In the Third World, youth are seen not only as the problem, but equally as the force that can topple a regime (as in Yugoslavia). However, youth can also be seen as carriers of a new worldview, a new ideology.
These and other views concerning youth are examined in this volume of comparative empirical research. Studies from around the world provide intriguing answers to questions about how youth see the future and their future roles. This book will be of particular interest to scholars, students, researchers, and policymakers involved with youth issues and future studies.
Endorsements of Youth Futures
"This book is astounding. In a time of rapid, world-wide transformation dealing with globalization, genomics, terrorism and much else, constructive and creative views of possible futures are essential. This book makes a monumental contribution on youth futures. While we are accustomed to hearing universal rhetoric on the importance of youth to the future, it seldom goes beyond platitudes. In 20 essays the authors present extensive theory and practice, including up to date trans-disciplinary research from around the world. This remarkable book will be a lasting resource for educators, policy makers, youth workers and all people committed to creating a better, brighter and wiser future for future generations."
- Professor David K. Scott, Former Chancellor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst:
"Young people are increasingly viewed by scholars, practitioners, and policy makers as vital assets in the development of civil society. This book both gives voice to this positive conception of youth, and documents the power of young people to be active agents in actualizing their own healthy futures and in contributing to social justice and equity across the global community. This book is an impressive resource for all people concerned with understanding and enhancing the strengths of youth to build, sustain, and extend the quality of life in all nations of the world."
- Professor Richard M. Lerner, Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science Tufts University, USA
"This exciting and timely book is a milestone, bringing together for the first time international research on youth as both inheritors and creators of the future. Their hopes and fears for tomorrow, as reported here, are central to the future well-being of society - we would do well to listen to them. Essential reading for all those involved with young people, whether in formal or informal contexts, at home, in education or at work."
- Professor David Hicks, School of Education, Bath Spa University College, UK.
"The Youth Futures book by Gidley and Inayatullah is a very important contribution because there is so little cross cultural material on adolescence. It is a much needed antidote to our ethnocentric presentation of adolescence here in the States".
- Professor David Elkind, Professor and Chair, Elliott Pearson Department of Child Development, Tufts University, Medford. Author of Best-selling Book: The Hurried Child
Inayatullah and Gidley draw together essays by leading academics from a variety of disciples and nations on the futures of the university, weaving historical factors with emerging issues and trends such as globalism, virtualization, multiculturalism, and politicization. They attempt to get beyond superficial debate on how globalism and the Internet as well as multiculturalism are changing the nature of the university, and they
thoughtfully assess these changes.
our abilities to comprehend and work with the complexity and interdependency that our current challenges as a species demand.
In response to these challenges, new theories and bodies of thought have appeared which attempt to articulate the paradigm change and help to further it. Some of the most important terms used in theorizing evolution of consciousness include: postformal, integral and planetary. These are key terms used in research that explicitly theorises new stage/s of
consciousness development—either individual or socio-cultural.
This chapter begins with a very brief overview of disciplines that have enacted major developments in their dominant mode of thinking during the 20th century. This is followed by some major developments in transdisciplinary fields that are enacting new knowledge
patterns. Finally, I discuss those areas of academic research, which explicitly theorise new modes of thinking or knowledge creation by way of the key transversal concepts— postformal, integral and planetary.
Welcome to "Global Futures of Climate”, the first Course in our series on Global Systems designed for individuals and organisations committed to facing global challenges and finding solutions.
This self-paced, online Climate Education Course is scientifically-based, and incredibly well researched to give you a deep understanding of our emerging world, providing a solid basis for you to build your personal, professional, and family futures. The innovative solutions offered align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This peer-reviewed material, previously published in a range of journals and scholarly books, is brought together for the first time as a single reference work. It is designed for all readers: parents, teachers, education researchers, and government policy makers.
It was translated by the The Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities
Discover new connections across hundreds of topics with the Very Short Introductions series – in print or online.
Learn more: http://www.veryshortintroductions.com/
© Oxford University Press
The book offers a new educational philosophy to awaken the creative, big-picture and long-term thinking that will help equip students to face tomorrow’s challenges. Inside, readers will find a dialogue between adult developmental psychology research on higher stages of reasoning and today’s most evolved education research and practice. This dialogue reveals surprising links between play and wisdom, imagination and ecology, holism and love.
The overwhelming issues of global climate crisis, growing economic disparity and the youth mental health epidemic reveal how dramatically the current education model has failed students and educators. This book raises a planet-wide call to deeply question how we actually think and how we must educate. It articulates a postformal education philosophy as a foundation for educational futures.
The book will appeal to educators, educational philosophers, pre-service teacher educators, educational and developmental psychologists and educational researchers, including postgraduates with an interest in transformational educational theories designed for the complexity of the 21st century.
- Introduces the US psychology research on postformal reasoning to a global audience.
- Seriously examines the full educational implications of postformal psychology.
- Connects postformal psychology with post-formal approaches to education.
- Integrates diverse “alternative” pedagogies into a postformal education philosophy.
The scope of the ‘futures in education’ research to date includes three major areas:
– the research with young people (mostly in school settings) which explores their views and visions of the future,
– the actual teaching of futures concepts, tools and processes in school settings,
– the speculative research into transformative educational models and approaches which have futures/foresight thinking as part of their worldview
The first of these areas provides a context for how young people see themselves in regard to ‘the future’ and why ‘futures’ processes are so valuable for them. The second will include an analysis of the current ‘state of play’ in futures education in schools and also some examples of ‘good practice’ at the primary and secondary levels. The third area points to a possible future of futures education which goes beyond ‘futures’ as isolated
lessons or subjects to where foresight is part of the meme rather than periheral.
The Monograph summarises and discusses the research to date. This is followed by a task analysis which highlights areas of strength and weakness and point to gaps in the research corpus. The implications of the existing theory, research and practice for developing foresight literacy in the future are then considered.
Finally, there is an exploration of ways of conceptualising research in futures education, including the identification of some specific research tasks that could be undertaken in the short to medium term.
Generally, youth are considered immature, irresponsible toward the future, cliquish, impressionistic, and dangerous toward self and others. They are considered as a mass market--two billion strong--the passive recipients of globalization. Most recently in OECD nations, youth have become fodder for political speeches--they are the problem that reflects both the failure of the welfare state (dependence on the state), the failure of globalization (unemployment), and postmodernism (loss of meaning and the crisis of the spirit). In the Third World, youth are seen not only as the problem, but equally as the force that can topple a regime (as in Yugoslavia). However, youth can also be seen as carriers of a new worldview, a new ideology.
These and other views concerning youth are examined in this volume of comparative empirical research. Studies from around the world provide intriguing answers to questions about how youth see the future and their future roles. This book will be of particular interest to scholars, students, researchers, and policymakers involved with youth issues and future studies.
Endorsements of Youth Futures
"This book is astounding. In a time of rapid, world-wide transformation dealing with globalization, genomics, terrorism and much else, constructive and creative views of possible futures are essential. This book makes a monumental contribution on youth futures. While we are accustomed to hearing universal rhetoric on the importance of youth to the future, it seldom goes beyond platitudes. In 20 essays the authors present extensive theory and practice, including up to date trans-disciplinary research from around the world. This remarkable book will be a lasting resource for educators, policy makers, youth workers and all people committed to creating a better, brighter and wiser future for future generations."
- Professor David K. Scott, Former Chancellor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst:
"Young people are increasingly viewed by scholars, practitioners, and policy makers as vital assets in the development of civil society. This book both gives voice to this positive conception of youth, and documents the power of young people to be active agents in actualizing their own healthy futures and in contributing to social justice and equity across the global community. This book is an impressive resource for all people concerned with understanding and enhancing the strengths of youth to build, sustain, and extend the quality of life in all nations of the world."
- Professor Richard M. Lerner, Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science Tufts University, USA
"This exciting and timely book is a milestone, bringing together for the first time international research on youth as both inheritors and creators of the future. Their hopes and fears for tomorrow, as reported here, are central to the future well-being of society - we would do well to listen to them. Essential reading for all those involved with young people, whether in formal or informal contexts, at home, in education or at work."
- Professor David Hicks, School of Education, Bath Spa University College, UK.
"The Youth Futures book by Gidley and Inayatullah is a very important contribution because there is so little cross cultural material on adolescence. It is a much needed antidote to our ethnocentric presentation of adolescence here in the States".
- Professor David Elkind, Professor and Chair, Elliott Pearson Department of Child Development, Tufts University, Medford. Author of Best-selling Book: The Hurried Child
Inayatullah and Gidley draw together essays by leading academics from a variety of disciples and nations on the futures of the university, weaving historical factors with emerging issues and trends such as globalism, virtualization, multiculturalism, and politicization. They attempt to get beyond superficial debate on how globalism and the Internet as well as multiculturalism are changing the nature of the university, and they
thoughtfully assess these changes.
our abilities to comprehend and work with the complexity and interdependency that our current challenges as a species demand.
In response to these challenges, new theories and bodies of thought have appeared which attempt to articulate the paradigm change and help to further it. Some of the most important terms used in theorizing evolution of consciousness include: postformal, integral and planetary. These are key terms used in research that explicitly theorises new stage/s of
consciousness development—either individual or socio-cultural.
This chapter begins with a very brief overview of disciplines that have enacted major developments in their dominant mode of thinking during the 20th century. This is followed by some major developments in transdisciplinary fields that are enacting new knowledge
patterns. Finally, I discuss those areas of academic research, which explicitly theorise new modes of thinking or knowledge creation by way of the key transversal concepts— postformal, integral and planetary.
Número 3, Volumen 2, pp. 37-62.
Second, I explore the current scientific research on climate change including issues related to mitigation, adaptation, and coevolution. Finally, I apply my futures typology that includes five paradigmatic approaches to undertake a dialogue between futures studies and climate change.
The following “annotated time line” covers the last three decades from 1985 to 2015. It has been sectioned into three phases, roughly corresponding with the decades of “Pioneers”, “Institution Building” and “Professional Consolidation”. As we now move into a fourth decade of Australian futures practices we can ask “How will the contributions of Australian women futures researchers and foresight practitioners contribute to, and further develop, the complex futures for Australia and our global society?”
major academic disciplines. Secondly, the move to transcend disciplinary specialisation, via inter-, multi-, and trans-disciplinary approaches is strengthening. Thirdly, at a higher order theoretical level, these developments are explicitly theorized in the discourses associated with postformal reasoning, integral theory and planetary consciousness. In spite of all these
developments in other disciplines and knowledge fields, the institution of mass public education, with its underpinning industrial worldview, has been pretty static since its inception two hundred years ago. Finally, the paper identifies three minor, but significant, waves of evolutionary emergence in education over the last hundred years that if articulated and nurtured could strengthen the development of evolutionary pedagogies for the 21st century."
Gidley explodes the notion of a singular future, by not only reminding us that futures studies is about possible and preferred futures, but reinforces the idea that the images of the future that we have in our heads are influenced by myriad forces of change and socialization in the world.
It is well researched, concise and lucidly written. This excellent book also contains a useful guide to further reading and websites as well as a handy index.
Brief Extract:
“In [the first] three chapters, [Gidley’s] summary of the long history
of ideas about time, the future, preferred futures, utopias and dystopias, progress and chaos, to planning, she skillfully weaves many resources into a fluid, coherent narrative. She offers an excellent summary of
a long and complicated story, endeavoring with considerable success
to be global and multicultural, not just western-centric…
Gidley provocatively defines futures studies as “the art and science of taking responsibility for the long-term consequences of our decisions and actions today” (p. 136). This definition makes clear that futures studies typically are profoundly values-based…
We all should give Jennifer Gidley a standing ovation. This is an absolutely wonderful source, as a basic textbook about the field,
and as a very good short introduction about the futureS for everyone.”
By Jim Dator, Editor, World Futures Review
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1946756717708913
Jennifer M. Gidley Postformal Education…
So says Jennifer Gidley in the summary epilogue to this remarkable book. Rarely have I come across a book with such a copious scope of reference. The range of material that Jennifer Gidley has marshalled and organised into this book is positively breathtaking.
If you are looking for a book which gives as thorough a survey of the global educational landscape as could be wished for, you need look no further. The scope of her research is awe-inspiring, and she has a highly developed ability to perceive trends and relationships where others have remained in the dark.
To sum up, if you are trying to work creatively in education and you want to know who your allies are in the fight against the “audit culture” of modern factory-style education, then you need to read this book.
The book provides a robust and substantive dialogue among leading thinkers and theories on cultural evolution, integral theories, developmental psychology, postformal reasoning qualities, postformal pedagogies, and educational futures, drawing upon Ken Wilber, Rudolf Steiner, Sri Aurobindo, Jean Gebser, Joe Kincheloe, Robert Kegan, Edgar Morin, and many others…
The book will appeal to educational philosophers and researchers, educators and teachers, developmental and educational psychologists, educational administrators, and anyone else with interest in transformative educational theories designed for the 21st century.
[Gidley] joins the chorus of voices calling for a planet-wide call to action to transform education and makes a distinct, inspiring, and significant contribution.”
Brief Extract:
“What masquerades for education today must be seen for what it is:
an anachronistic relic of the industrial past.” Gidley’s solution is an education based on four core values–love, life, wisdom, and voice. Without “voice” in an age of proliferating communication devices and social media, the first three will be harder to incorporate.
The style, design, and construction of the book model its holistic, integrative content. In a breathtaking voyage through the past, present, and future, this book synthesizes an extraordinary wealth of research from philosophers, scientists, psychologists, educators, sociologists, all drawn together in this far-reaching book.
There are many nascent movements—integral and integrative learning, contemplative practice, meditation, and spirituality in education—giving intimations of the transformation advocated in this book. Presently, these movements are like separately flowing streams.
This path-breaking work by Gidley leads to a convergence of the streams into one river, carving out a path for educating future generations to be more humane, caring, and committed to building
a better and wiser world. Everyone interested in a better future should read this book. It may inspire us to act before it is too late.”
By David K. Scott, Former Chancellor at UMass (Amherst)
https://cloud.3dissue.com/111924/112291/131577/ResearchBulletin-SPSUM2017/index.html
Brief Extract:
“This book certainly provides a valuable resource for educators who are looking for inspiring, novel and creative ways to address the learning and behavioural problems they face in everyday classrooms…
It is filled with a broad and detailed overview of the concepts and arguments of many important and influential philosophers and theorists, which is accompanied by an abundance of thoughtful and innovative deliberations.
It may be most appropriate for researchers, academics and post-graduate students in education, consciousness and cultural studies.
Accordingly, Gidley’s new book is a welcome addition to existing educational literature that is focused on forward thinking, sustainability and innovation, and with the needs of young people at its heart.”
By Dr. Marian de Souza, ACU & Federation University
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1364436X.2017.1310404
Brief Extract:
“Few books offer such a broad scope of transdisciplinary scholarship, nor attempt to defend an education which takes aim at ‘planet-sized’ problems. Postformal Education: A Philosophy for Complex Futures
is such a book.
Jennifer M Gidley creates a tapestry for ‘radical change’ in education… drawing conceptual bridges across traditional disciplinary boundaries
to demonstrate how highly creative pedagogies can emerge…
The book is propelled by an urgent and passionate need to address
the problem of human meaning-making and thinking that Gidley sees
as underlying the large-scale issues facing humanity in environmental, psychological, socio-cultural and politico-economic terms.”
By Dr. Daniella J. Forster, University of Newcastle
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1478210317715802
Brief Extract:
“A Philosophy for Complex Futures… explores the future of education pedagogy. Jennifer Gidley has produced a work that repays studying. It … sows seeds. There is much here to repay contemplation.
For Dr Gidley, it is an invite to think about what comes after the still-dominant model based on the factory or warehouse. It is a book to stir up our thinking and the education system. It is unself-consciously “about radical change”.
It takes a grand historical sweep. Dr Gidley chronicles how Aztec culture was the first known one with mandatory education and how mass formal schooling has only been around for a couple of centuries.
Gidley works up to a comprehensive framework in the form of a wheel based around love, live, wisdom and voice (p. 179). This model resonates to the contemporary work of organization improvement more generally.
The book challenges the dominant pedagogy: the one that has served the elite of our elite institutions, even if not their children.”
By Philip Hadridge, Director, Idenk, Cambridge, UK
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/FS-12-2016-0059
This paper focuses on emergent signs of evolutionary change in human thinking that run parallel with many of the exponential changes manifesting in the external world. Weak signals are identified from the early twentieth century indicating the emergence of new knowledge patterns. These signals have strengthened in the last forty years. The paper first identifies new ways of thinking within several disciplines such as science, philosophy, religion and education. New knowledge patterns are then identified in discourses that traverse disciplinary boundaries through transdisciplinary approaches such as futures studies and planetary/global studies. The paper then discusses evolution of consciousness, identifying research that theorises new ways of thinking as being related to individual psychological development and/or socio-cultural evolution. Finally, evolutionary concepts are discussed that attempt to meta-cohere the new knowledge patterns via the terms postformal, integral and planetary. Notably, academic research on “futures of thinking”, “evolution of consciousness” and/or “global mindset change” has been, until now, largely ignored by mainstream academic discourse on evolution, consciousness and futures studies.
Keywords: evolution of consciousness, futures, global, integral, planetary, postformal, transdisciplinary
Futures studies as a field needs to be sensitive to the developmental and paradigmatic changes that have been occurring both within and across many areas of the knowledge spectrum. New ways of thinking can be mapped within several disciplines such as science, philosophy, psychology and education. Futures thinking can be contextualised within the emergence last century of more integrative knowledge patterns such as transdisciplinarity, integral studies and planetary/global studies. These signs of what many regard as evolutionary change in human thinking run parallel with the exponential changes manifesting in the external world. Futures researchers need to be self-reflexive about their own ways of knowing to ensure that the field is continuing to evolve and not falling behind while other disciplines and fields are transforming. How will futures researchers ensure that “futures thinking” not only keeps pace with—but also leads the way in—higher order ways of thinking?
Keywords: futures studies, integral, global social change, megatrends of the mind, planetary, pluralism, positivism, postformal, post-positivism, transdisciplinarity.
We are living in times of great transition and uncertainty. We hear the present times being referred to as chaotic, turbulent, even “postnormal.” Futurist, Zia Sardar (2010) refers to postnormal times as being characterized by “complexity, chaos and contradiction”. In this paper I ask the question: “What can we expect for the futures of thinking?” I throw light on this question by exploring the relationships between cultural history, and adult developmental psychology, through an evolution of consciousness narrative.
Firstly, I will introduce the growing body of research by cultural historians, sociologists, philosophers and others on the evolution of culture and consciousness. Secondly, I will discuss the research by adult developmental psychologists on the types of reasoning that exist beyond Piaget’s “formal operations.” When these two bodies of research are integrated, they provide overwhelming evidence that suggests a new stage or structure of consciousness is currently emerging. From this perspective the chaos and turbulence that is regarded as postnormal, can be viewed from a different light. Furthermore, the types of cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses that we humans are required to develop to thrive in this new milieu are remarkably synergistic with the qualities indicative of postformal reasoning.
I draw out a number of qualities associated with postformal reasoning that are important in leading human evolution further, through conscious evolution. I propose that these postformal qualities are both adaptive, and thus increasingly “normal” for the present times, and also exactly what is required to think ourselves out of our current crises. Indeed, in terms of evolution, postformal thinking is indicative of what we can expect for the “futures of thinking.”
Keywords: conscious evolution, evolution of consciousness, futures of thinking, futures studies, postformal, postnormal
An earlier version of this paper won first prize in the IAU/Palgrave 2009 Higher Education Policy Essay Competition.
Acknowledgements:
This presentation began its life as a joint paper by Dr Jennifer Gidley, Gary Hampson, Dr Leone Wheeler and Elleni Bereded-Samuel. The development of the theoretical framework informing the paper was undertaken by Dr Gidley as part of a literature review on social inclusion in higher education initiated and funded by RMIT Learning Community Partnerships Group and the Global Cities Research Institute. Gary Hampson made structural contributions to the theory while editing the paper. Dr Wheeler and Elleni Bereded-Samuel gave editorial assistance and contributed to the content from their professional experience in university-community engagement.
growing urbanization, lack of (or inadequate) international education, and the accelerating climate crisis.
These grand global futures challenges will have substantial impacts in the socio-cultural and environmental domains. However, complex and interconnected trends drive them; they are likely to create significant problems across many futures for humanity, including economic and geo-political. Uniquely, I will also draw attention to counter-trends, twists, and surprises. These alternative futures can mitigate, disrupt, or reverse the dominant trends and enable others to imagine and create alternatives to the disturbing trends being forecast.
As unpredictable futures rush toward us, the challenges for long-term human futures have been called a “crisis of crises,” “wicked problems,” and “grand global futures challenges.” Ranging across socio-cultural, geopolitical, and environmental domains, these challenges are complex and systemically interconnected, offering many starting points for further dialogue.
Endorsements of Postformal Education by several key experts in education, psychology & postformal reasoning.
+ TABLE OF CONTENTS with Abstracts & Hyper-Links to Blog Posts (12 chapters).
So what does that have to do with education or the raising of children?
Even an education that is caring, lively and wise will fail in the long run if young people are not empowered to find their voices.
While love brings the heart back into education, and imagination brings education to life, wisdom is the most cognitive of my core postformal values. Wisdom requires the head as well as the heart. Yet paradoxically, even a brilliant intellect—if it lacks heart and ethics—is not always wise. Wisdom is creative, complex and integrative. Wisdom does not follow the straight and narrow, but meanders, pauses, plays with multiple options and looks around corners—curious for surprises. So how do we educate for wisdom?
We live in a world with a globalising culture that does not value life in its many dimensions: the environment, the health and vitality of its children and young people, or the wellbeing of socio-cultural life in general. Since the publication of La Mettrie's L'Homme Machine (Man, the Machine) in 1748 mechanistic metaphors of human and nature have dominated science and philosophy. In just a few years, public warnings about the increasing likelihood of severe effects of climate crisis have become much more insistent. While it is hard to imagine the environmental impact of the current sea level rise predictions, the social, cultural and especially psychological impacts will be far greater. We have altered the biosphere to the extent that our planetary homeland may in the foreseeable future become inhospitable for human habitation. How can children and young people be expected to contend with catastrophic futures? If a more caring, life-enhancing consciousness could assist the restoration of our fragile planetary ecosystem how might educators achieve this? In Chapter 9 of Postformal Education: A Philosophy for Complex Futures, I introduce readers to the most life-supporting educational approaches today, followed by examples from my teaching experience and that of other alive and vital educators. I finish with some personal reflections on the importance of pedagogical life – a core value in my postformal education philosophy.
This book raises a planet-wide call to deeply question how we actually think and how we must educate. It articulates a postformal education philosophy as a foundation for educational futures. The book will appeal to educators, educational philosophers, preservice teacher educators, educational and developmental psychologists and educational researchers, including postgraduates with an interest in transformational educational theories designed for the complexity of the 21st century.
I believe the most important value that is largely missing from education today is what I call pedagogical love. In Chapter 8 of Postformal Education: A Philosophy for Complex Futures, I explain why love should be at centre-stage in education. I introduce contemporary educational approaches that support a caring pedagogy, and some experiences and examples from my own and others’ practice, ending with some personal reflections on the theme.
¿Las pedagogías alternativas como la educación Steiner tienen algo que ofrecer para un emergente mundo global/izado?
Los cambios sistémicos del conocimiento acaecidos durante el último siglo cons- tituyen distintas facetas de complejos procesos, sin que se entienda aún del todo bien su importancia para el futuro de las ideas y la cultura de la educación. Estos movimientos diversos, independientes e interconectados están preparando el terreno para la próxima aparición de unos enfoques de educación y futuros de conocimiento más dinámicos y plurales. Los investigadores y expertos en edu- cación, así como los responsables de la política educativa, deberán tener muy en cuenta los cambios que se han producido en las ideas y en las formas de orga- nizar el conocimiento. Nuevas formas de pensamiento más complejas, reflexivas y orgánicas resultarán vitales a la hora de reestructurar la educación con el fin de que los jóvenes se encuentren más preparados para enfrentarse a la com- pleja, paradójica e impredecible situación que les va a tocar vivir en el siglo xxi.
Abstract:
Este capítulo utiliza la metodología del Causal Layered Analysis (análisis causal estratificado) desarrollado por el investigador de estudios futuros Sohail Inayatullah para analizar las implicaciones educativas de los problemas de salud mental de los adolescentes. El estudio vincula la desesperanza juvenil y la depresión con la pérdida de valores y el sentido que va asociado una cultura materialista. Una visión más profunda de este análisis sugiere, que los jóvenes están experimentando un vacío
espiritual en su sociedad.
This paper focuses on emergent signs of evolutionary change in human thinking that run parallel with many of the exponential changes manifesting in the external world. Weak signals are identified from the early twentieth century indicating the emergence of new knowledge patterns. These signals have strengthened in the last forty years. The paper first identifies new ways of thinking within several disciplines such as science, philosophy, religion and education. New knowledge patterns are then identified in discourses that traverse disciplinary boundaries through transdisciplinary approaches such as futures studies and planetary/global studies. The paper then discusses evolution of consciousness, identifying research that theorises new ways of thinking as being related to individual psychological development and/or socio-cultural evolution. Finally, evolutionary concepts are discussed that attempt to meta-cohere the new knowledge patterns via the terms postformal, integral and planetary. Notably, academic research on “futures of thinking”, “evolution of consciousness” and/or “global mindset change” has been, until now, largely ignored by mainstream academic discourse on evolution, consciousness and futures studies.
Keywords: evolution of consciousness, futures, global, integral, planetary, postformal, transdisciplinary""
This paper focuses on emergent signs of evolutionary change in human thinking that run parallel with many of the exponential changes manifesting in the external world. Weak signals are identified from the early twentieth century indicating the emergence of new knowledge patterns. These signals have strengthened in the last forty years. The paper first identifies new ways of thinking within several disciplines such as science, philosophy, religion and education. New knowledge patterns are then identified in discourses that traverse disciplinary boundaries through transdisciplinary approaches such as futures studies and planetary/global studies. The paper then discusses evolution of consciousness, identifying research that theorises new ways of thinking as being related to individual psychological development and/or socio-cultural evolution. Finally, evolutionary concepts are discussed that attempt to meta-cohere the new knowledge patterns via the terms postformal, integral and planetary. Notably, academic research on “futures of thinking”, “evolution of consciousness” and/or “global mindset change” has been, until now, largely ignored by mainstream academic discourse on evolution, consciousness and futures studies.
Keywords: evolution of consciousness, futures, global, integral, planetary, postformal, transdisciplinary