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AUT: Cognitive Mapping

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<P>Hey everyone,</P>
<P>Recently I've been thinking about the idea of "diversity of tactics" and how it is differently interpreted by various groups in organizing and implementing various political actions.&nbsp; Hence some groups provide very legalistic definitions of what "diversity of tactis" is and how it should be implemented.&nbsp; These definitions often implicitly marginalize&nbsp;some groups.&nbsp;&nbsp;For instance,&nbsp;a group over here has defined "diversity of tactics"&nbsp;as including all "nonviolent" tactics excluding any "violence against persons or property".&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>
<P>Now I have&nbsp;been toying with the idea of cognitive mapping as a way of capturing "activist's" assumptions on diversity and what it means to them.&nbsp;&nbsp;I mean by cognitive mapping that I would talk to "activists" from various locations engaging in a particular action and ask them how they would trace their relations with other people in fighting for political power/challenging the G8/local government/whatever.&nbsp; I would then ask them to trace these relations spatially on a sheet of paper.&nbsp; Through&nbsp;this process I would then uncover the categories that "activists" use (say in distinguishing between "violent" and "non-violent" protestors) and trace there particular connections to other categories.&nbsp; However, the map also presents an opportunity for self-dialogue, to deconstruct these categories opening up the map to constant reconstruction.&nbsp; In the end I was hoping that I could bring together the participants to discuss the different ways that they have constructed their relations with each other, opening the whole process to critical self-reflection.</P>
<P>I was just wondering if anyone on the list had any advice or opinions about this project because I myself am not fully convinced&nbsp;of its usefulness.&nbsp;</P>
<P>Many Thanx,</P>
<P>Chris&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: <a href='http://g.msn.com/1HM1ENCA/c152??PI=44318'>Click Here</a><br></html>


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