The View From Somewhere: A Conversational Introduction To Integrative Meta-Studies
Become an Integral Life member to join this live session
Become a memberJoin Mark Edwards, Bruce Alderman, and our Integral Life community for an engaging series of monthly conversations exploring the emerging field of planetary meta-studies. Planetary meta-studies is a holistic and integrative approach—a kind of Earth-system social science—that uses comprehensive models and metatheoretical frameworks to understand our planet’s immense beauty, complexity, and profound interconnectedness.
In this series, we’ll thoughtfully examine the global metacrisis—an interconnected web of environmental, social, economic, and existential challenges—and explore practical pathways for navigating both the personal and collective dimensions of these challenges.
Monthly Conversation Topics:
Welcome to the Meta-Clearing
An introduction to planetary meta-studies, its significance, and its relationship with Integral Theory and other integrative frameworks.
Big Picture Stories About the Meta-Crisis
Exploring the power—and pitfalls—of comprehensive worldviews, examining rogue ideologies, and understanding planetary boundaries.
Reflections on the Empirical, the Actual, and the Real
Clarifying the purpose and unique insights of planetary meta-studies, and how it engages deeply with reality.
Through the Looking Glass
Applying meta-level lenses to reveal deeper insights into the meta-crisis, and critically examining the structures and assumptions behind our collective narratives.
Mother Earth and Father Sky
Exploring sustainability through planetary meta-studies, and the profound contributions of Indigenous Knowledge in addressing global challenges.
The View from Somewhere—and Somewhere Else
Expanding our inquiry into planetary meta-studies and opening new avenues for deeper engagement.
Join us for these thought-provoking and practical explorations as we deepen our understanding, sharpen our insights, and co-create meaningful responses to the planetary meta-crisis. Together, let’s uncover clearer paths toward a thriving future for humanity and our shared home.
Time schedule – All sessions are from 2pm – 4pm Pacific Time
1. Friday November 15th
2. Friday December 13th
3. Friday January 17th
4. Friday February 14th
5. Friday March 14th
6. Friday April 18th
Speakers
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Mark EdwardsI live close to the beach in the beautiful city of Perth in Western Australia and have two adult children and a veggie garden. Education-wise, I have a PhD with Distinction in Organization Theory and a Masters in Human Development, both from the University of Western Australia. I have been an academic since 2008 researching and teaching in the fields of sustainability, organizational transformation, ethics and meta-studies. I am published in research journals such as the Academy of Management Learning and Education, Business & Society, Business Strategy and the Environment, and the Journal of Business Ethics. I have also published books on regenerative sustainability, marketing ethics, and integrative metatheory with the academic publishers Routledge and Cambridge University Press. Before becoming an academic I worked as a registered psychologist with people with disabilities and their families and communities. In recent years, I find myself more engaged in local community activism and practice-based communities.
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Bruce AldermanBruce Alderman is the associate director of the Blue Sky Leaders program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Bruce is also a member of faculty for the Consciousness, Psychology, and Transformation department at National University (NU). He also finds time to work as an integral and transpersonal consultant psychologist. He is a long-time student of David Bohm’s work, and recently led a course with Lee Nichol on the concept and practice of the rheosoma. Prior to working at CIIS and NU, Bruce worked and studied abroad in Asia for several years, teaching courses on creative writing and inquiry at the Rajghat Besant School, a Krishnamurti school in Varanasi, India, and studying and practicing at monasteries and ashrams in Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Nepal. He has published essays in the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice and Consciousness Journal, as well as in several anthologies on Integral philosophy and spirituality. Recently he launched a YouTube channel and podcast called The Integral Stage, dedicated to exploring integral, metamodern, and other holistic and integrative approaches to addressing the complex social, ecological, and spiritual challenges of our times.
