Toolkit Two: Challenging What We Know

Words can illuminate and words can obscure. In this classic publication from Oxfam (downloadable for free), the authors deconstruct development discourse and challenge us to think much more deeply and carefully about the words we use.

How many cognitive biases might we have? No one’s ever been able to catalogue them all, but they are legion. You’ll notice that in this article, they're called ‘ideas to help explain how the world works’. When such ideas are absorbed and held unconsciously, they can easily become biases.

Here’s another take from The Decision Lab, in the field of behavioural economics. This is an attempt to focus on some of the most important and explanatory cognitive biases which, the lab says, should be applied to educational reform, poverty reduction, and other large social issues.

In this framework from the field of psychology, cognitive biases are shown in relation to each other.

The biases listed in "The cognitive bias codex" are all explained here.

You may be asking: now that I’m overwhelmed with how many biases I likely have, and how unaware of them I likely am – what on earth should I do about it? This classic book suggests fourteen thinking strategies.

With respect to social change, The Tamarack Institute suggests using classic single, double, and triple-loop learning in a specific, intentional way. Find out how in this resource.

In this series of seven very short, animated videos, economist Kate Raworth challenges our default thinking.

This economic approach focuses on economic growth within planetary boundaries, which equitably meets peoples’ needs – and argues that we need a new, distributive economic model.

Go further on doughnut economics in this podcast with Kate Raworth, discussing how to move from an extractive economic model that promotes addicted, narcissistic, polarised behaviours to one that values healthy, loving, and collaborative relationships.

Now listen to a challenging perspective on economics in our complex world. Traditional models are based on thinking from the simple or complicated domains. But since our most pressing problems – and the world as a whole – are complex, how should we think about economics? According to economists John Kay and Mervyn King, we need to account for the radical uncertainty at the heart of complexity.

Go deeper with Kay and King’s book of the same name.

Here is one example from urban work, suggesting four lenses to help see and make sense of different information and dynamics in a city. You can begin to see how each is likely to lead to different insights – the reason why changemakers should never rely on only their default lenses.

The SDGs are, in themselves, a set of lenses. Often, people work and report on them separately; but if we don’t integrate our lenses and apply them repeatedly (since systems are always changing) we’ll have very inadequate understandings of our systems dynamics. In this short video, Ola Rosling shows how we can’t understand the progress we’re making on the SDGs – or lack, thereof – without connecting our lenses.

Go further by exploring the SDG interlinkages analysis and visualisation tool from the Institute for Global Environmental Studies.

This very short article argues why, despite the difficulties, we must decolonise development.

This article contextualises current efforts of decolonisation by discussing its history, through the lens of the work of Frantz Fanon.

In this recording from the Overseas Development Institute think tank, a panel discusses the meaning of decolonising development, and how we might rethink our practices.

In this interview, writer Amitav Ghosh argues that decentring our stories from humans, to include the stories of other beings and entities with whom we share the planet, is critical work for those who seek justice and equity.

This blogpost from the Global Development Institute encourages us to ask probing questions – and suggests what some of them might be – so that we decolonise development thoughtfully.

You may now be thinking: I get it and I’m going to keep learning more – but what should I do? Here’s a brief overview, from The New Humanitarian, of some of the many efforts underway, as examples and jumping off points for your own work. Note that this article is also full of many links to other useful resources.

This list from The New Humanitarian is a valuable resource for getting started with the study and understanding of decolonising aid.

Here is just one meditation on this paradox, in an excerpt from "Born on Third Base" by Chuck Collins. He tells the story of his awakening to his privileged position, his decision to do something about it as an individual, and his realisation that everything important to be done happened in community.

This infographic think-piece challenges us to deeply question ourselves in how we think about the climate emergency. Spot the many paradoxes the author discusses as you go through. This is a 52-minute listen that you can do in small chunks over time.

In this article, the authors discuss the tension that exists between the seeming turmoil of change and the stubborn continuity of organisational structures, pointing to three in particular: 1) Innovation vs. cultification; 2) Collaboration vs. compromise; and 3) Breakthroughs within organisational conventions.

Quickly see the basics in this very short book review, to get started.

Now that you have the basics, settle in to learn from James Carse, himself, in this interview with Simon Sinek. You’ll notice some familiar complexity concepts: novelty and emergence, unpredictability and surprise, and play and discovery.

In this short discussion, Simon Sinek unpacks our fascination with metrics and places it within the context of the infinite game.