Mixed Methods and Cross Disciplinary Research: Towards Cultivating Eco-systemic Living (Contemporary Systems Thinking)

This book uses mixed methods to extend the concept of "wellbeing stocks" to refer to dynamic ways of working with others. It addresses metaphors and praxis for weaving together strands of experience. The aim of the wellbeing stocks concept is to enable people to re-evaluate economics and to become more aware of the way in which we neglect social and environmental aspects of life. The pursuit of profit at the expense of people and the environment is a central problem for democracy and governance. The vulnerability of cities is a symptom of the lack of balance between individual and collective needs. This book explores the potential for cities, specifically in the regions of Indonesia, Africa, and Australia, to become more productive as sites for food and water security through more creative use of technology. It highlights the need for partners that see food and security feasible at the household level if supports are provided at the community, national and international level.  The book examines how these regions are affected by demographics, climate change and people movements, but also explores ways to establish an effective cultural ecosystem management. 

Janet McIntyre-Mills, Flinders University (nee Mills; publish as McIntyre-Mills) Associate Professor at Flinders University, Honorary Professor at the University of South Africa in the College of Education, Training and Youth Development, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Indonesia. The adjunct appointments recognize over 30 years’ experience in policy research addressing complex social challenges.   Her research addresses social justice issues such as health, housing and social inclusion and the mitigation and adaptation to climate change.  She addresses complex needs by exploring the meanings and ‘what if’ questions with diverse stakeholders. She has written several books including: ‘Systemic Governance and Accountability’, Springer and ‘User-centric Policy Design to address Complex Needs’. She is chair of the International Systems Special Integration Group, entitled: ‘Balancing individualism and Collectivism’ and in the past was elected threetimes to Research Committee 10 on Organizational Transformation of the International Sociological Association.  
Her recent research addresses non anthropocentric policy for living systems.  In 2017 her volumes for the Springer Contemporary Systems Series address the challenge to re-generate living systems. The sole authored volume is  entitled: ‘Planetary Passport for Representation, Accountability and Re-Generation  and the edited volume together with Professors Romm and Corcoran Nantes is entitled :  ‘Balancing Individualism and Collectivism: Social and Environmental Justice’.  The latter comprises collected papers from the Special Integration Group for International Systems Sciences which McIntyre chairs together with 16 international contributors, including early career researchers. The research seeks a better balance across social, cultural, political, economic and environmental interspecies concerns to ensure a sustainable futurefor current and future generations. The ecological citizen uses a ‘planetary passport’ to track the distribution and redistribution of resources in the interests of social and environmental justice. Engagement links high level challenges with individual perspectives, facilitating nuanced investigation of the complex ethical challenge of closing the gap in life chances. The central argument looks for ways to hold the powerful to account so as to enable virtuous living by the majority in a ‘planetary passport’ that demonstrates a careful use of resources and a way to protect habitat for living systems.
Norma R. A. Romm (DLitt et Phil, Sociology) is Research Professor in the Department of Adult Basic Education and Youth Development, the University of South Africa. She is the author of The Methodologies of Positivism and Marxism (Macmillan, 1991), Accountability in Social Research (Springer, 2001), New Racism (Springer, 2010), ResponsibleResearch Practice (2018, Springer), People’s Education in Theoretical Perspective (with V. McKay, Longman, 1992), Diversity Management (with R. Flood, Wiley, 1996), and Assessment of the Impact of HIV and AIDS in the Informal Economy of Zambia (with V. McKay, ILO, 2008). She has co-edited three books―Social Theory (with M. Sarakinsky, Heinemann, 1994), Critical Systems Thinking (with R. Flood, Plenum, 1996) and Balancing Individualism and Collectivism (with J. McIntyre-Mills and Y. Corcoran-Nantes) She has published more than 100 research articles on the contribution of research to social development, the way in which research can be practised accountably, Indigenous ways of knowing and living, and the facilitation of adult learning. She has worked on a range of projects aimed at increasing equity for organizations such as the ILO, ADEA, IOM, and UNESCO.