Action-Research: a comment by Greg Macleod

Published in 2004, this argument defends the evolution of university curriculum in the social sciences away from the obscure and towards relevance to Canadian communities.

As McLeod says:

" Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University contends that university based science has become mainly concerned with the needs of large business rather than the needs of society. (Bok, 2003) Universities need money, and wealthy industry needs science, so it seems an irresistible marriage. On the opposite side are those who claim that the role of the university should be to seek truth and prepare young people to be responsible and democratic citizens. Is the university to serve big business or is to seek simply knowledge for its own sake? Perhaps there is room in the university for these two dimensions. However, we would like to propose a third position..."

Worth reading.

Lucien Bouchard lauds the cooperative model...

In a recent address to 200 cooperators, former premier Bouchard states that coops hold up against "mondialization", while talking of the bitter Olymel case. I admit I find it hard to sympathize for a pork factory, but 891 jobs are 891 jobs.

Upcoming symposium on the Social Economy at OISE

April 26 and 27 will see a "green" conference on the Social Economy, organised by Jack Quarter, a one of the key pioneers on this topic in Canada, among others.

An Ontario blog keeps track of all "social economy" in Ontario

This blog is one to consult now and again.

Making Mega-Projects Work for Communities

This entry is to mark the deposit of a Community University Research Alliance (CURA) grant to study the impact of the 2 billion dollar McGill Mega-Hospital on the surrounding neighbourhoods. The project aims at action-research that will make a real difference in St-Henri, NDG and Westmount.