It’s like in the great stories…

• Career as journey – even questCareer as journey – even quest• Narratology of career – it’s a storyNarratology of career – it’s a story• Significance of others – it’s not something Significance of others – it’s not something

we do alonewe do alone• About holding on to something – taking About holding on to something – taking

responsibility for somethingresponsibility for something• It expresses identity – identity It expresses identity – identity

development and outworking of identitydevelopment and outworking of identity

Understanding The Noughties

• The decade of ‘diversity’ where avoiding The decade of ‘diversity’ where avoiding limitations in life is of utmost concernlimitations in life is of utmost concern

• An age characterised by a new eclecticismAn age characterised by a new eclecticism• Seeking not just a well-paid job but one Seeking not just a well-paid job but one

that delivers satisfactionthat delivers satisfaction• Likely to stall major life decisions until at Likely to stall major life decisions until at

least their late 20’s. least their late 20’s.

Responsible Engagement PDP Programme

Paul Dowson &Paul Dowson &Prof Simon RobinsonProf Simon RobinsonSchool of Applied Global EthicsSchool of Applied Global EthicsLeeds Metropolitan UniversityLeeds Metropolitan UniversityUnited KingdomUnited Kingdom

Responsible Engagement- Student EngagementStudent Engagement, with learning skills, with learning skills- Community EngagementCommunity Engagement, with , with

professional skillsprofessional skills- Global EngagementGlobal Engagement, with leadership skills, with leadership skills- Voluntary Work PlacementVoluntary Work Placement, the signet , the signet

Responsible Engagement student Responsible Engagement student experienceexperience

Progressive ResponsibilityLevel 1 - Student EngagementLevel 1 - Student Engagement• taking responsibility for one’s role as a studenttaking responsibility for one’s role as a student• understanding purpose and the purpose of HEunderstanding purpose and the purpose of HE

Level 2 - Community EngagementLevel 2 - Community Engagement• taking responsibility for one’s worldview and othertaking responsibility for one’s worldview and other• practicing active citizenship and professionalismpracticing active citizenship and professionalism

Level 3 - Global EngagementLevel 3 - Global Engagement• taking responsibility for global citizenshiptaking responsibility for global citizenship• Understanding leadership in corporate responsibility and Understanding leadership in corporate responsibility and

in relation to global uncertaintyin relation to global uncertainty

The Integrating Concept• Connecting a host of cognate areas Connecting a host of cognate areas

through the overarching theme of through the overarching theme of responsibilityresponsibility

• Bringing together ethics, enterprise, Bringing together ethics, enterprise, volunteering, careers, citizenship & global volunteering, careers, citizenship & global responsibility around value based responsibility around value based reflective practicereflective practice

Sacks’ Identity Questions

• Who am I?Who am I?

• Why am I here?Why am I here?

• What therefore, What therefore, should I do?should I do?

Identity Development• ‘‘Philosopher-Kings’ – leaders who are Philosopher-Kings’ – leaders who are

capable to take on ideascapable to take on ideas• Authentic (Whole) Practitioners – able to Authentic (Whole) Practitioners – able to

think and operate not just economically, think and operate not just economically, but also environmentally, socially and in but also environmentally, socially and in terms of purposeterms of purpose

• Clear-eyed FuturistsClear-eyed Futurists

Clear-Eyed Futurists ‘ ‘Those who face up Those who face up

to the worst that to the worst that could happen and could happen and then decide to then decide to create the best that create the best that there could be.’ there could be.’

(Prof Prabhu Guptara)(Prof Prabhu Guptara)

Guptara’s Future• Unceasing global competitionUnceasing global competition• Global interdependencyGlobal interdependency• A world of over-production and over-capacityA world of over-production and over-capacity• Fewer people needed by organisationsFewer people needed by organisations• A harsher social contractA harsher social contract• The stripping out of middle-sized companiesThe stripping out of middle-sized companies• The emergence of metacorporations and niche operatorsThe emergence of metacorporations and niche operators• The new core competencesThe new core competences• Reversion to have vs. have-not societiesReversion to have vs. have-not societies• The need to prepare for all eventualitiesThe need to prepare for all eventualities

Features of Postmodernism• A loss of faith in the project of modernityA loss of faith in the project of modernity• The rejection of meta-narrativesThe rejection of meta-narratives• Elevation of the individualElevation of the individual• An embrace of pluralismAn embrace of pluralism• The centrality of the metropolisThe centrality of the metropolis• Hybridisation of thinking, styles & idealsHybridisation of thinking, styles & ideals• Fundamentalism, as a responseFundamentalism, as a response• Role of the media as central dynamicRole of the media as central dynamic

Bauman’s Triple Challenge

• InterregnumInterregnum

• A globality of A globality of uncertaintyuncertainty

• The end of the The end of the nation statenation state

Paul Ricoeur & Narrative• Recovering Recovering

meaningfulnessmeaningfulness• Rehabilitating the Rehabilitating the

imaginationimagination• In search of narrative In search of narrative

coherencecoherence• Transfiguring our Transfiguring our

comprehensioncomprehension

Mimesis 1 2 3• Mimesis 1 – the pre-narrative stateMimesis 1 – the pre-narrative state• Mimesis 2 – emplotment of a narrativeMimesis 2 – emplotment of a narrative• Mimesis 3 – a ‘new creation’ in the hearerMimesis 3 – a ‘new creation’ in the hearer

‘ ‘Narrative has been unwittingly relegated Narrative has been unwittingly relegated to the role of describing being rather than to the role of describing being rather than to creating, expressing and unfolding the to creating, expressing and unfolding the possibilities of becomingpossibilities of becoming.’ .’ (Rankin)(Rankin)

The Ethical University (Barnett)

1.1. Consideration of Consideration of otherother

2.2. An ethically virtuous An ethically virtuous institutioninstitution

3.3. Ethical authenticityEthical authenticity4.4. Operating in a Operating in a

contested fieldcontested field5.5. Super-saturated with Super-saturated with

valuesvalues6.6. Practicing hospitalityPracticing hospitality

Voluntary Work Placement• Provides a story to tellProvides a story to tell• Assessed/accredited volunteeringAssessed/accredited volunteering• Requires 3 weeks volunteeringRequires 3 weeks volunteering• Expanding student experience Expanding student experience • Inviting adjustment in their thinkingInviting adjustment in their thinking

- about themselvesabout themselves- about other (people, organisations, cultures)about other (people, organisations, cultures)- about ethicsabout ethics

Emerging Themes• Taking responsibilityTaking responsibility• An insider’s view of organisations (and An insider’s view of organisations (and

leadership)leadership)• Different and contrasting world viewsDifferent and contrasting world views• Value beyond boundariesValue beyond boundaries• Enlarging capacity / changing perspectiveEnlarging capacity / changing perspective• Expectations and realityExpectations and reality• Globalization and global responsibilityGlobalization and global responsibility

Narrative in the classroom• Offers greater potential for hearing Offers greater potential for hearing

alternative voicesalternative voices• Tell stories that matter to youTell stories that matter to you• Viewing students as ‘experience holders’Viewing students as ‘experience holders’• The focus of classroom story telling should The focus of classroom story telling should

be on the spoken, not the written wordbe on the spoken, not the written word

Any Questions?p.a.dowson@leedsmet.ac.ukp.a.dowson@leedsmet.ac.uk