Context, Participation and Discourse: The Role of the Communities of Practice Concept in Understanding Farmer Decision-Making

O’Kane, Michael; Paine, Mark; King, Barbara J.

doi:10.1080/13892240802320388

Cited by 20 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…To date, direct application of the CoP framework in agriculture has been limited (see for example O'Kane et al, 2008), with some application to studies of land-based resource management (e.g. van Buuren and Edelenbos, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Learning among Organic Farmers and the Application of the Communities of Practice Framework

Morgan

2011

The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The paper examines social learning processes among organic farmers and explores the application of the Community of Practice (CoP) model in this context. The analysis employed utilises an approach based on the CoP model, and considers how, or whether, this approach may be useful to understand social learning among farmers. The CoP model is applied to case studies of social learning fora among organic farmers. The case studies are compiled from in-depth semi-structured interviews and participant observation with farmers and other actors, and the data are analysed with reference to three dimensions of the CoP model, namely mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoires. Farmers associate and engage in social learning more readily with peers determined by similar attitudes to farm business, farming styles and understanding of what organic agriculture entails. Such associations support the hypothesis that CoPs are self-organising structures that generate their knowledge in sympathy with community definition and identity. A CoP framework applied within relatively unstructured and dispersed communities, such as described in this paper, emphasises the fluid nature of CoPs, and their essentially self-organising nature. Extension approaches may be facilitated by regarding farmers as de-facto members of CoPs and by understanding how CoPs may form and develop. The CoP model is applied as a heuristic to examine social learning processes in organic farming.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Learning among Organic Farmers and the Application of the Communities of Practice Framework

Morgan

2011

The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Knowledge flows between the knowledge systems are often constrained by boundaries around the PKS and the AKS which coincide with different sorts of values, knowledge, epistemological language, or epistemic divide, and different views of what constitutes reliable or useful knowledge (O'Kane et al, 2008). The absence of a common sort of knowledge is a defining feature that creates and maintains these boundaries.…”

Section: 1: Impermeable Boundaries Between Knowledge Systems: Sharementioning

confidence: 99%

Agricultural transition: Niche and regime knowledge systems’ boundary dynamics

Ingram

2018

Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper examines how knowledge systems within alternative agricultural niche develop and interact with the regime's Agricultural Knowledge Systems (AKS). It frames the analysis around transition, knowledge systems and boundaries literatures. Specifically it explores the extent to which niche knowledge systems confront and, or enhance the regime's AKS. The paper draws on empirical data from a study of the Permaculture community in England. The analysis describes the boundary between the knowledge systems of the Permaculture niche and the mainstream agricultural regime. Rather than a simple notion of PKS confronting or enhancing the AKS there are multiple knowledge processes operating which both maintain and permeate boundaries between the two knowledge systems.

show abstract

“…experiential and group learning, with farmers learning from each other with the assistance of extension officers as facilitators (Gallagher, Braun and Duveskog, 2006). More generally, the effectiveness of rural extension is being improved by participatory and shared learning experiences (Crawford et al, 2007;O'Kane et al, 2008;Cotching et al, 2009;Cristovao et al, 2009), that draw on an adult education concept of 'lifelong learning' (Merriam and Caffarella, 1999;Foley, 2004). Many studies refer to 'local' knowledge and assume a preference for 'practical' information on the part of farmers, but such simplifications about what forms of knowledge are regarded as important to learning for the adoption of a skill or practice have rarely been made explicit, rather the focus has been on the processes of learning (Levander, 2000;Kaltoft and Rasmussen, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Knowledge Types Used by Researchers and Wool Producers in Australia under a Workplace Learning Typology: Implications for Innovation in the Australian Sheep Industry

Thompson

Reeve

2011

The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper reports on research into the learning aspects of adopting integrated parasite management practices for sheep (IPM-s) applying a workplace learning framework. An analysis of four primary data sources was conducted; a postal survey of Australian wool producers, a Delphi process with IPM-s researchers, focus groups and interviews with wool producers.Researchers had a high expectation of conceptual and high level procedural knowledge for IPM-s, while wool producers had a tendency to rely on low-and high-level procedural knowledge for parasite management. Researchers also showed concern for disposition as it related to parasite management. Practices identified as potentially problematic for extension, included worm egg count testing (according to best practice), supplementary feed (specifically for worm management), selecting estimated breeding value-tested rams, weighing and monitoring body condition scores, and keeping written paddock histories.This research provides significant empirical insights into the knowledge differences between researchers and producers that can affect how research is developed and communicated for the IPM-s project to facilitate behaviour change. The identification of some IPM practices as problematic for producers will also allow targeted extension for these practices.

show abstract

Context, Participation and Discourse: The Role of the Communities of Practice Concept in Understanding Farmer Decision-Making

Cited by 20 publications

References 7 publications

Social Learning among Organic Farmers and the Application of the Communities of Practice Framework

Social Learning among Organic Farmers and the Application of the Communities of Practice Framework

Agricultural transition: Niche and regime knowledge systems’ boundary dynamics

Knowledge Types Used by Researchers and Wool Producers in Australia under a Workplace Learning Typology: Implications for Innovation in the Australian Sheep Industry

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About