The case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems: an illustration based on development education, corporate social responsibility and social marketing
Education, especially development education (DE), and a number of socially focused disciplines, including corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social marketing (SM), have long been targeted by policy makers for deriving advice on the ‘wisdom’ of levelling up differences and addressing sources o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024
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| Online Access: | https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/9395/1/challenges-15-00024-v3.pdf |
| _version_ | 1804073010374639616 |
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| author | Fourali, Chahid |
| author_facet | Fourali, Chahid |
| author_sort | Fourali, Chahid |
| collection | LMU |
| description | Education, especially development education (DE), and a number of socially focused disciplines, including corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social marketing (SM), have long been targeted by policy makers for deriving advice on the ‘wisdom’ of levelling up differences and addressing sources of disadvantages at individual, group and/or regional levels. Additionally, the combined wisdom of such disciplines can also be a great source of advice to effectively address perennial universal problems. This paper is conceptual in nature with a multidisciplinary outlook. It contrasts DE, CSR and SM, with the view to deriving common grounds as well as strengths and areas for further development that can produce more comprehensive explanations and solutions to social problems. Such inclusive, more comprehensive explanations would help advise social-cause-focused workers, including researchers, learners and policy makers, about how each discipline can contribute to the resolution of multifaceted problems, the so-called ‘wicked problems’, that each discipline may not be fully equipped to address. The method of analysis used is an adjusted version of critical discourse analysis. It is used to explore the disciplines at four levels, namely definitional, philosophical, methodological and performance levels, thus giving a comprehensive view of each discipline’s nature, philosophical outlook, methodology and perceived efficacy in achieving its aims. The derived arguments also benefitted from comments provided by seven experienced representatives from the three disciplines. Overall, the outcomes suggest a relative maturity of critical ability in DE but also more effective and efficient methodological and evaluative perspectives in CSR and SM. Although the outcome of the analysis is open for debate, it nevertheless suggests several opportunities for mutual learning at all four levels. The paper suggests a novel integrated ‘supra-level’ framework that may help workers, in these three areas of knowledge, gain valuable insights from each of the three disciplines and highlight valuable opportunities for capitalising on their respective strengths. |
| first_indexed | 2024-07-09T04:08:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:9395 |
| institution | London Metropolitan University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-07-09T04:08:14Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:93952024-05-21T15:05:50Z http://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/9395/ The case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems: an illustration based on development education, corporate social responsibility and social marketing Fourali, Chahid 300 Social sciences 370 Education 650 Management & auxiliary services Education, especially development education (DE), and a number of socially focused disciplines, including corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social marketing (SM), have long been targeted by policy makers for deriving advice on the ‘wisdom’ of levelling up differences and addressing sources of disadvantages at individual, group and/or regional levels. Additionally, the combined wisdom of such disciplines can also be a great source of advice to effectively address perennial universal problems. This paper is conceptual in nature with a multidisciplinary outlook. It contrasts DE, CSR and SM, with the view to deriving common grounds as well as strengths and areas for further development that can produce more comprehensive explanations and solutions to social problems. Such inclusive, more comprehensive explanations would help advise social-cause-focused workers, including researchers, learners and policy makers, about how each discipline can contribute to the resolution of multifaceted problems, the so-called ‘wicked problems’, that each discipline may not be fully equipped to address. The method of analysis used is an adjusted version of critical discourse analysis. It is used to explore the disciplines at four levels, namely definitional, philosophical, methodological and performance levels, thus giving a comprehensive view of each discipline’s nature, philosophical outlook, methodology and perceived efficacy in achieving its aims. The derived arguments also benefitted from comments provided by seven experienced representatives from the three disciplines. Overall, the outcomes suggest a relative maturity of critical ability in DE but also more effective and efficient methodological and evaluative perspectives in CSR and SM. Although the outcome of the analysis is open for debate, it nevertheless suggests several opportunities for mutual learning at all four levels. The paper suggests a novel integrated ‘supra-level’ framework that may help workers, in these three areas of knowledge, gain valuable insights from each of the three disciplines and highlight valuable opportunities for capitalising on their respective strengths. MDPI AG 2024-05-08 Article PeerReviewed text en cc_by_4 https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/9395/1/challenges-15-00024-v3.pdf Fourali, Chahid (2024) The case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems: an illustration based on development education, corporate social responsibility and social marketing. Challenges, 15 (2) (24). pp. 1-20. ISSN 2078-1547 https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15020024 10.3390/challe15020024 |
| spellingShingle | 300 Social sciences 370 Education 650 Management & auxiliary services Fourali, Chahid The case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems: an illustration based on development education, corporate social responsibility and social marketing |
| title | The case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems: an illustration based on development education, corporate social responsibility and social marketing |
| title_full | The case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems: an illustration based on development education, corporate social responsibility and social marketing |
| title_fullStr | The case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems: an illustration based on development education, corporate social responsibility and social marketing |
| title_full_unstemmed | The case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems: an illustration based on development education, corporate social responsibility and social marketing |
| title_short | The case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems: an illustration based on development education, corporate social responsibility and social marketing |
| title_sort | case for multidisciplinary frameworks for developing effective solutions to complex human problems an illustration based on development education corporate social responsibility and social marketing |
| topic | 300 Social sciences 370 Education 650 Management & auxiliary services |
| url | https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/9395/1/challenges-15-00024-v3.pdf |
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