In the Beginning was the Commons: Transformative Learning as Praxis for Regenerating the Cultural Commons

Culture is the medium through which human capabilities are transmitted. In this respect, culture may be understood as a commons that is consequential to the future of other forms of commons. Regenerating the commons is inherently and intrinsically associated with democratizing and partnering. The co...

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Main Authors: Aftab Omer, Melissa Schwartz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing 2021-12-01
Series:Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pubs.lib.umn.edu/index.php/ijps/article/view/4446
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author Aftab Omer
Melissa Schwartz
author_facet Aftab Omer
Melissa Schwartz
author_sort Aftab Omer
collection DOAJ
description Culture is the medium through which human capabilities are transmitted. In this respect, culture may be understood as a commons that is consequential to the future of other forms of commons. Regenerating the commons is inherently and intrinsically associated with democratizing and partnering. The commons of shared meanings that enable truth telling are exploitable by the market when education is dominated by the market. If educational institutions are at the behest of the market and the state, education can neither be a commons nor be in the service of the commons. We can frame this circumstance as an enclosure of learning. Transformative learning facilitates a shifting from the mindset of exploiting the commons to a mindset of regenerating the commons. In fact, the core transformation that occurs in transformative learning is the liberation of awareness from identity enclosure. Such a liberation prepares the ground for growing partnership capabilities from the intimate to the global, essential for preserving and regenerating the commons. An education that transforms seeks to re-sacralize and regenerate culture as a commons, which can then enable partnership-based care towards all other forms of commons.
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spelling doaj.art-1898ba4d9e9f4f4eb7e36c2ed498715b2022-12-21T19:46:02ZengUniversity of Minnesota Libraries PublishingInterdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies2380-89692021-12-018210.24926/ijps.v8i2.4446In the Beginning was the Commons: Transformative Learning as Praxis for Regenerating the Cultural CommonsAftab OmerMelissa SchwartzCulture is the medium through which human capabilities are transmitted. In this respect, culture may be understood as a commons that is consequential to the future of other forms of commons. Regenerating the commons is inherently and intrinsically associated with democratizing and partnering. The commons of shared meanings that enable truth telling are exploitable by the market when education is dominated by the market. If educational institutions are at the behest of the market and the state, education can neither be a commons nor be in the service of the commons. We can frame this circumstance as an enclosure of learning. Transformative learning facilitates a shifting from the mindset of exploiting the commons to a mindset of regenerating the commons. In fact, the core transformation that occurs in transformative learning is the liberation of awareness from identity enclosure. Such a liberation prepares the ground for growing partnership capabilities from the intimate to the global, essential for preserving and regenerating the commons. An education that transforms seeks to re-sacralize and regenerate culture as a commons, which can then enable partnership-based care towards all other forms of commons.https://pubs.lib.umn.edu/index.php/ijps/article/view/4446Meridian Universitycultural leadershippartnership capabilitytransformative communities of practiceImaginal Transformation Praxiscreative transgression
spellingShingle Aftab Omer
Melissa Schwartz
In the Beginning was the Commons: Transformative Learning as Praxis for Regenerating the Cultural Commons
Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies
Meridian University
cultural leadership
partnership capability
transformative communities of practice
Imaginal Transformation Praxis
creative transgression
title In the Beginning was the Commons: Transformative Learning as Praxis for Regenerating the Cultural Commons
title_full In the Beginning was the Commons: Transformative Learning as Praxis for Regenerating the Cultural Commons
title_fullStr In the Beginning was the Commons: Transformative Learning as Praxis for Regenerating the Cultural Commons
title_full_unstemmed In the Beginning was the Commons: Transformative Learning as Praxis for Regenerating the Cultural Commons
title_short In the Beginning was the Commons: Transformative Learning as Praxis for Regenerating the Cultural Commons
title_sort in the beginning was the commons transformative learning as praxis for regenerating the cultural commons
topic Meridian University
cultural leadership
partnership capability
transformative communities of practice
Imaginal Transformation Praxis
creative transgression
url https://pubs.lib.umn.edu/index.php/ijps/article/view/4446
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