Systems Thinking and Adult Development in a Community Development Setting

This presentation charts the journey of Public Health's engagement with systems thinking, initially via Theory U and later through Community Operational Research methods. The practical application, pitfalls, considerations of using these methods in community settings brings this, sometimes conceptual focus, into the "real" world. 

The emergence of Adult Development as a seam of research that helps to bring a sense of movement to seemingly intractable patterns of interaction is important.  A programme delivered to staff in a community development setting bringing together neuroscience, behaviour change and other elements to help bring a shift in how we see  ourselves and others in communities is discussed.  Where seeing more perspectives, holding difference and promoting connection appear in both systems thinking and adult development arenas, the coming together of these worlds in practice is examined.