Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > On stopping doing those things that are not get...

Research

Links

Text available via DOI:

Keywords

View graph of relations

On stopping doing those things that are not getting us to where we want to be: unlearning, wicked problems and critical action learning

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Published

Standard

On stopping doing those things that are not getting us to where we want to be: unlearning, wicked problems and critical action learning. / Brook, Cheryl; Pedler, Michael John; Abbott, Christine et al.
In: Human Relations, Vol. 69, No. 2, 02.2016, p. 369-389.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Brook, C, Pedler, MJ, Abbott, C & Burgoyne, JG 2016, 'On stopping doing those things that are not getting us to where we want to be: unlearning, wicked problems and critical action learning', Human Relations, vol. 69, no. 2, pp. 369-389. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726715586243

APA

Brook, C., Pedler, M. J., Abbott, C., & Burgoyne, J. G. (2016). On stopping doing those things that are not getting us to where we want to be: unlearning, wicked problems and critical action learning. Human Relations, 69(2), 369-389. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726715586243

Vancouver

Brook C, Pedler MJ, Abbott C, Burgoyne JG. On stopping doing those things that are not getting us to where we want to be: unlearning, wicked problems and critical action learning. Human Relations. 2016 Feb;69(2):369-389. Epub 2015 Sept 24. doi: 10.1177/0018726715586243

Author

Brook, Cheryl ; Pedler, Michael John ; Abbott, Christine et al. / On stopping doing those things that are not getting us to where we want to be : unlearning, wicked problems and critical action learning. In: Human Relations. 2016 ; Vol. 69, No. 2. pp. 369-389.

Bibtex

@article{460821bf88cc4113bf9b25b40d482e5d,
title = "On stopping doing those things that are not getting us to where we want to be: unlearning, wicked problems and critical action learning",
abstract = "This article explores the idea of unlearning on the basis of empirical data drawn from 73 social workers{\textquoteright} accounts of addressing their problems and challenges in critical action learning sets. To address intractable or wicked problems, characterized by having multiple stakeholders with competing perspectives and by an absence of obvious solution, it may be necessary first to unlearn existing responses and to ask fresh questions to illuminate what is as yet unknown. Action learning privileges questions over solutions in seeking learning from action on organizational challenges, whilst critical action learning is a variety that employs insights from critical social theory to promote critical reflection and unlearning in this process. The article breaks new ground in claiming: first, that unlearning in the context of the wicked problems of social work is characterized less by the discarding of outmoded knowledge and routines and more by a critical unlearning that opens up new possibilities of not knowing and non-action; and second, that critical unlearning is much more likely to take place when supported by a deliberated and social process such as that provided by critical action learning.",
keywords = "critical action learning, non-action, unlearning, wicked problems",
author = "Cheryl Brook and Pedler, {Michael John} and Christine Abbott and Burgoyne, {John Graves}",
year = "2016",
month = feb,
doi = "10.1177/0018726715586243",
language = "English",
volume = "69",
pages = "369--389",
journal = "Human Relations",
issn = "0018-7267",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - On stopping doing those things that are not getting us to where we want to be

T2 - unlearning, wicked problems and critical action learning

AU - Brook, Cheryl

AU - Pedler, Michael John

AU - Abbott, Christine

AU - Burgoyne, John Graves

PY - 2016/2

Y1 - 2016/2

N2 - This article explores the idea of unlearning on the basis of empirical data drawn from 73 social workers’ accounts of addressing their problems and challenges in critical action learning sets. To address intractable or wicked problems, characterized by having multiple stakeholders with competing perspectives and by an absence of obvious solution, it may be necessary first to unlearn existing responses and to ask fresh questions to illuminate what is as yet unknown. Action learning privileges questions over solutions in seeking learning from action on organizational challenges, whilst critical action learning is a variety that employs insights from critical social theory to promote critical reflection and unlearning in this process. The article breaks new ground in claiming: first, that unlearning in the context of the wicked problems of social work is characterized less by the discarding of outmoded knowledge and routines and more by a critical unlearning that opens up new possibilities of not knowing and non-action; and second, that critical unlearning is much more likely to take place when supported by a deliberated and social process such as that provided by critical action learning.

AB - This article explores the idea of unlearning on the basis of empirical data drawn from 73 social workers’ accounts of addressing their problems and challenges in critical action learning sets. To address intractable or wicked problems, characterized by having multiple stakeholders with competing perspectives and by an absence of obvious solution, it may be necessary first to unlearn existing responses and to ask fresh questions to illuminate what is as yet unknown. Action learning privileges questions over solutions in seeking learning from action on organizational challenges, whilst critical action learning is a variety that employs insights from critical social theory to promote critical reflection and unlearning in this process. The article breaks new ground in claiming: first, that unlearning in the context of the wicked problems of social work is characterized less by the discarding of outmoded knowledge and routines and more by a critical unlearning that opens up new possibilities of not knowing and non-action; and second, that critical unlearning is much more likely to take place when supported by a deliberated and social process such as that provided by critical action learning.

KW - critical action learning

KW - non-action

KW - unlearning

KW - wicked problems

U2 - 10.1177/0018726715586243

DO - 10.1177/0018726715586243

M3 - Journal article

VL - 69

SP - 369

EP - 389

JO - Human Relations

JF - Human Relations

SN - 0018-7267

IS - 2

ER -