ABSTRACT

Pressures for transformational change have become a regular feature of most fields of human endeavour. Master-thinkers and visionaries alike have reframed existing divisions as connecting relationships, bringing together as dynamic systems the supposed opposites of parts and wholes, stability and change, individuals and society, and rational and creative thinking. This reframing of opposites as interconnected wholes has led to realisation of the power of a collective mind.

This book offers ways and means of creating the synergies that are crucial in influencing a desired transformational change towards a just and sustainable future. It describes how and why our current decision-making on any complex issue is marked by clashes between the different interests involved. More optimistically, the book pursues a mode of thinking that brings together government, specialised and community interests at the local, regional and personal scales in a collective transformation process. Practical examples signal the emergence of a new knowledge tradition that promises to be as powerful as the scientific enlightenment.

Written in accessible language, this book will be insightful reading for anyone struggling with transformational change, especially researchers, students and professionals in the fields of administration, governance, environmental management, international development, politics, public health, public law, sociology, and community development

part 1|93 pages

Changing minds

chapter 1|15 pages

Living with transformational change

A future for the collective mind

chapter 2|18 pages

The Darwinian mind

chapter 3|15 pages

The Gaian mind

People and planet as a self-organising system

chapter 4|16 pages

The cybernetic mind

Human social networks in cyberspace

chapter 5|14 pages

The Herculean mind

Seven challenging tasks

chapter 6|13 pages

The collective mind

Asking reflective questions

part 2|102 pages

Changing society

chapter 7|17 pages

Inclusive language

Hearing all the voices 1

chapter 8|18 pages

Transformation science

A science of change

chapter 10|18 pages

Collaborative economy and gift relationships

chapter 11|16 pages

Life-long education

Learning without limits

chapter 12|14 pages

The collective self

Asking introspective questions

part 3|17 pages

Changing worlds

chapter 13|15 pages

Utopian thinking in a connected world