Networks of Knowledge

by Stein, Janice Gross; Stren, Richard; Fitzgibbon, Joy; Maclean, Melissa

• ISBN13: 9780802048448
• ISBN10: 0802048447
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-09-01
• Publisher: Univ of Toronto Pr

Summary

The network is the pervasive organizational image of the new millennium. This book examines one particular kind of network - the 'knowledge network' - whose primary mandate is to create and disseminate knowledge based on multidisciplinary research that is informed by problem-solving as well as theoretical agendas. In their examination of five knowledge networks based in Canadian universities, and in most cases working closely with researchers in developing countries, the authors demonstrate the ability of networks to cross disciplinary boundaries, to blend the operational with the theoretical, and to respond to broad social processes. Operating through networks, rather than through formal, hierarchical structures, diverse communities of researchers create different kinds of knowledge and disseminate their results effectively across disciplinary, sectoral, and spatial boundaries. Analysis of networks in health, environment, urban, and educational fields suggests that old categories of 'north' and 'south' are becoming blurred, and that the new structures of knowledge creation and dissemination help to sustain collaborative research.

Author Biography

Janice Gross Stein is the Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management and the director of the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto. Richard Stren is Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. Joy Fitzgibbon is a doctoral candidate in the department of political science at the University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
About the Authors	xi
Knowledge Networks in Global Society: Path ways to Development	3	(26)
Janice Gross Stein
Richard Stren
Knowledge Production and Global Civil Society	29	(22)
Janice Gross Stein
The Canada International Scientific Exchange Program in Otolaryngology	51	(21)
Joy Fitzgibbon
The Coastal Resources Research Network	72	(13)
Joy Fitzgibbon
Melissa Maclean
The Global Urban Research Initiative	85	(19)
Melissa MacLean
The Learning for Environmental Action Program	104	(14)
Melissa MacLean
The Canadian Aging Research Network	118	(15)
Joy Fitzgibbon
Knowledge Networks and New Approaches to 'Development'	133	(18)
Richard Stren
Appendix A: Template Questions	151	(6)
Appendix B: Comparative Characteristics of the Five Networks	157	(8)
Bibliography	165	(6)
Index	171