The social learning community-modeling social change from the bottom-Up

Abstract

Raising awareness through social learning is one important strategy to deal with today’s challenges. Social learning is a complex and dynamic process, thus modeling may help to explore key dynamics. In this chapter I present a model of a Social Learning Community (SLC) which is not based on a network approach, but rather connects actors to different group settings where they interact. Within these social interaction rooms where actors meet and exchange they construct their own social reality, resulting in group phenomena. The social interaction contexts may span from such informal but long-lasting settings as a family to loose groups. Knowledge learned in one interaction setting can be brought into another one via the participating actors. The SLC is able to link social-psychological findings of group interaction (e.g., conformity) to social learning in wider social units.