Date of Award

2022

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (College of Arts and Science)

Schools and Centres

Arts & Sciences

First Supervisor

Associate Professor Sandra Woolthorton

Second Supervisor

Dr. Patricia Sherwood

Abstract

In this extraordinary time of multiple, intersecting crises with compounded costs in social, economic, and environmental degradation, calls for transformative change are emerging from all levels of humanity – global to local. Within that setting, my study concentrated on investigating change at a local level to address the research question ’How can community development theory and practice contribute to ecological conversion, as identified in Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home?’

Since its release, Laudato Si’ has provoked considerable academic/theological and scientific/environmental debate that does not necessarily contain local people’s views and everyday lived experiences, given their often-limited access to those broader debates. The main argument in this thesis is that local people and communities have substantial roles to play in contributing to the transformational change called for within Laudato Si’.

The community and ecological practice research methodology developed for this study values integral ecology, which upholds that everything is interrelated, for example the relationship between people, plants, and animals, and between species and planet within systemic networks. The application of interdisciplinary, multi-focused qualitative research methods through the lens of community development practice addresses the research question. One community research method, ‘world café’, identified the themes incorporated into this study, with local case studies and storytelling playing a strong role in relating the significance of these grassroots activities.

Recommendations resulting from this research include initiating community-based inquiry that expands engagement and planning into developing bottom-up, grassroots driven community action plans that support social, economic, and environmental change at local levels. These are important steps towards global change. Other recommendations call for embracing and expanding the value of Indigenous living cultures in this Laudato Si’ community development agenda, along with increased inclusion of human and other-than-human living systems. These are additional pathways towards ecological conversion that leads to transformational change.

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