Spours, Kenneth;
(2023)
The evolution of Social Ecosystem Thinking and the Social Ecosystem Model in building place-based VET and imagining Just Transitions. Stimulus Paper for the Symposium -
'Skills Ecosystems and Just Transitions', Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg South Africa, 20-24 November 2023.
UCL Institute of Education: London, UK.
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Abstract
This stimulus paper focuses on the conceptual evolution of an inclusive Social Ecosystem Model (SEM) to connect the worlds of Working, Living and Learning. The paper argues that the dominant human conceptual method of the ‘metaphorical device’ needs to be superseded by social ecosystem theory, capable of guiding the construction of inclusive and sustainable social ecosystems. The development of theory-based SEM results from the merger of spatial adaptions of the Bronfenbrenner human ecological scalars and extensions to Finegold’s high skills ecosystems approach that are then situated within a wider ’45-degree political economy framework’. The resulting full framework of the SEM suggests that skills ecosystems can be seen to function as an important sub-system within this overall model. The full SEM with its constituent Skills Ecosystem is applied to the development of TVET in England in order to chart a conceptual path away from the dominant top-down market model and towards a devolved, social and place-based approach. The final part of paper considers the potential role of Social Ecosystem Thinking (SET) in developing what is termed Post-4.0 Industry and TVET scenarios by allying SET/SEM with Socialised Technological Transitions in service of sustainable and fairer Just Transitions. Due to the speculative SEM modelling process and criticisms of its lack of groundedness, at various stages throughout the paper questions of ‘emergence’ or ‘contingency’ are posed to enquire about the required conditions for the development of the model in rapidly changing contexts.
| Type: | Working / discussion paper |
|---|---|
| Title: | The evolution of Social Ecosystem Thinking and the Social Ecosystem Model in building place-based VET and imagining Just Transitions. Stimulus Paper for the Symposium - 'Skills Ecosystems and Just Transitions', Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg South Africa, 20-24 November 2023 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Publisher version: | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/ioe-faculty-education-an... |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Social Ecosystems, Skills Ecosystems, 45-degree political change, Just Transitions, Anthropogenic Crises |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Education, Practice and Society |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10196731 |
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