Scholars, Educators, and Researchers

Pluralistic Societies: Epistemic Pluralism and Ecologies of Knowledges 

Globally and locally, we are witnessing societies shaped by increasing human entanglements and social polarization.  Pluralism in the city, what might be called pluralism from below, recognizes the need for an active engagement that creates a society of shared values and peace and prosperity from a diversity of civilizations, cultures, peoples, groups, and entities. It addresses the wicked social challenges associated with the super-diversity and hyper-diversity of our time: social disconnection, division, distrust, dehumanization, religious intolerance and political strife.

Pluralism is inextricably concerned with depolarization.  It is fundamentally concerned with how to make diversity work so we can live well together. It requires actively cultivating an understanding of different perspectives and facilitating how this multiplicity shapes social transformation for the better. Pluralism is what can emerge from relationship building and intercultural engagement, bridging divides, social healing, collaborative problem solving, and interfaith engagement. This context calls for a paradigm shift for bold solutions, culture change, shifting values, norms, skills, behaviours, how we see ourselves and others, and how we see ourselves in relation to diverse others. The University of Calgary has been laying the groundwork toward a Pluralism Strategy for many years and has recruited a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Epistemic Pluralism and Ecologies of Knowledges. 

The knowledge domain has become a site of struggle and increasing demands for epistemic pluralism. At the centre of the struggles are calls for institutional transformation, recognition of diverse ways of knowing and redefinition of social relations. The new Chair cultivates a new consciousness predicated on humanity in all of its diversity.

Pluralistic Societies: Transdisciplinarity, Cognitive Justice and Education 

Globally and locally, we are witnessing societies shaped by increasing human entanglements and social polarization.  Pluralism in the city, what might be called pluralism from below, recognizes the need for an active engagement that creates a society of shared values and peace and prosperity from a diversity of civilizations, cultures, peoples, groups, and entities. It addresses the wicked social challenges associated with the super-diversity and hyper-diversity of our time: social disconnection, division, distrust, dehumanization, religious intolerance and political strife.

Pluralism is inextricably concerned with depolarisation.  It is fundamentally concerned with how to make diversity work so that we can live well together. It requires actively cultivating an understanding of different perspectives and facilitating how this multiplicity shapes social transformation for the better. Pluralism is what can emerge from relationship building and intercultural engagement, bridging divides, social healing, collaborative problem solving, and interfaith engagement. This context calls for a paradigm shift for bold solutions, culture change, shifting values, norms, skills, behaviours, how we see ourselves and others, and how we see ourselves about diverse others. The University of Calgary has been laying the groundwork toward a Pluralism Strategy for many years and has recruited a tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transdisciplinarity, Cognitive Justice and Education.