VALEDICTORY ADDRESS Prof. Dr. Alan Fowler Civic Driven Change: Where From? Where Now? Where Next?

The Address Civic Driven Change Is about designing and wearing better spectacles to see, understand, think about and act on socio-political processes.

The Flow Where From? – Motivation, process, lessons Where Now? – The CDC spectacles Where Next? – Moving CDC to Civic Innovation

Where From? CDC Motivations

Where From? CDC Trajectory

Where From? CDC Theory At a certain moment CDC needed more theoretical embedding. Drawing on the work of many others, two families were identified: – Foundational theories, including the ontology of civic – Action theories related to citizens and empowerment. Both required a (long) historical view.

Where From? Locating CDC in Theories

CDC Where From? Lessons

Where Now? The CDC Spectacles

Where Now? Domains A domain: - sets out the terrain of interest. - has root and proximate causes. - has system boundaries. - needs meaningful time frames. - Invites attention to scale(s).

Where Now? The Propositions Four propositions provide the materials that make up the a CDC domain frame. Societies are political projects – all peoples behaviours contribute to political effects Civic is understood as pro-social behaviours that respect differences between people with a concern beyond self Dreams or unfulfilled imagined futures are sources of civic energy Socio-political change is complex, requiring a non- deterministic view

Where Now? Lenses - Politics Frames hold lenses. In CDC these are the made up by four types of politics: The politics of belonging The politics of action The politics of scale The politics of knowledge with communication

Where Now? Focal Points - Power Lenses have focal points. For CDC these are categories of power from a citizens perspective, experience and aspiration. Power Expressions/ Power Processes Power WithinPower WithPower ToPower Over Socio-psychological forming Self-empowering acculturation and socialisation (Bourdieu and Biko) Associating for public action Select and live a self- determined identity Assertion in society as a personal and joint political project Controlling Language Applying critical interpretation Creating a shared vocabulary (Chomsky) Promote or challenge discourses Diversifying and gaining access to information Controlling Rules Knowing and asserting rights and interests Negotiating collective purposes and outcomes Challenge exclusion (Marx and Rawls) (Co-)determining conventions, laws and policies Applying coercion Questioning expectations of self-compliance Adopting protective collaboration Opposing unaccountable authority The application of public instruments for compliance (Weber)

Where Next? CDC to CIRI #1 The Civic Innovation Research Initiative (CIRI) is a coming together of three research strands: - markets - sexuality - politics Institutions are a shared point of reference as is a commitment to multi and inter-disciplinarity. The forthcoming CIRI forum will be an important event to help build a house with these qualities.

Where Next? CDC to CIRI #2

In Conclusion CDC has many parents! Literally hundreds of people have shaped what CDC is today and will continue to do so. To them, my thanks. And CDC has a home at ISS amongst many people who have made my time as an affiliate professor so personally rewarding. To them my appreciation.

An Ending is a Beginning An Aspiring PracademicTowards a Retiring Pracademic