Detail Mentor Profile: PILLE BUNNELL

The Transformative Learning Foundation

About

Pille Bunnell

University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D. 1973.

Biological Modeller, International Biological Program; Research Associate for developing Adaptive Management processes; Systems Ecologist for ESSA Technologies; Director of Environmental Literacy, also for ESSA; Sessional Lecturer, University of British Columbia, Faculty of Education; Adjunct Professor in Environmental Education and Environmental Management, Royal Roads University; Past President of the American Society for Cybernetics; currently on the Board for the College of Co-Exploration, the Canada Research Chair in Communities, and the editorial boards for Cybernetics and Human Knowing, and Constructivist Foundations.

Board Chair for the SelfDesign Learning Foundation

Graduation

University of British Columbia, B.Sc. 1965.

Courses

SDGI Courses

SD 502 Epistemological Foundations of Learning (3 credits)

Learning involves developing adequate conduct in any domain of knowledge. Learning also evokes an expansion of intelligence and wisdom. To nurture deep, self-perpetuating learning, this course explores both epistemology (how we know what we know: understanding the origin, nature and limits of knowledge) and ontology (the nature of human existence, and as part of that, the nature of learning.) Learners examine the biological roots of life, cognition, language, and emotions, and they investigate how these are conserved and altered in evolutionary and cultural lineages. The course entails explanations, exercises, and conversations as well as individual reflections, all coherent with an epistemological framework that is recursive in explaining itself as well as explaining other related frameworks.

Webinars

Dancing with Ambiguity

In The Media

Dancing with Ambiguity, 1-3

Projects

Editorialship of Journal Issues

2011 Special Issue The Work of Humberto Maturana and It’s Application Across the Sciences: Constructivist Foundations Volume 6 Number 3, July 2011
2004 Changing the Question: Cybernetics and Human Knowing Volume 11, No. 4
2004 Maturana Revisited: Cybernetics and Human Knowing Volume 11, No. 2

Selected Publications and Reports

Bunnell, P. 2015. ASC 1999 to 2001: a Personal Account. Cybernetics and Human Knowing (in press)
Bunnell, P. 2013. The Role of Love, Trust and Intimacy in Learning. (white paper)
Bunnell, P. and A. Riegler. 2011 Maturana Across the Disciplines. Constructivist Foundations Volume 6 Number 3, July 2011
Maturana and VerdenZöller, Ed. Bunnell, P. 2008. The Origin of Humanness in the Biology of Love. Imprint Academic, 228 pp. (includes Foreword by P. Bunnell)
Carpenter et. al. 2005 Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Scenarios,Volume 2, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Island Press
Bunnell, P. 2005 Reflections on the Ontology of Observing. Cybernetics and Human Knowing Vol 11No. 4 pp 72-84
Bunnell, P. 2005 Bamfield Story Adventure. A landscape embedded virtual adventure presenting the ecoculture and history of Bamfield and Anacla, B.C. http://www.bhkadventure.com/adventure/ Approx 3 hours.
Bunnell, P. 2005 Understanding as a flow of living. Poems and photos, LifeWorks 24 pp
Bunnell, P. 2005 Mötisklus Looduses. Estonian Poems and photos, LifeWorks 24 pp
Bunnell, P. 2004. Reflections on the Ontology of Observing Cybernetics and Human Knowing, Vol 11 No 4. pp 72-84
Bunnell, P. 2004. Guest Editor: Changing the Question Cybernetics and Human Knowing, Vol 11 No 4 , pp 5-10
Bunnell, P. 2004. Guest Editor: Maturana Revisited, Cybernetics and Human Knowing, Vol 11 No 4, pp 5-11
Loo, Laine and P. Bunnell 2004 Nana’s Cookbook, LifeWorks 50 pp

Selected Conference Papers and Presentations

Bunnell, P. 2014 ASC 1999 to 2001: a Personal Account. American Society for Cybernetics 50th Anniversary Conference, Washington D.C.
Bunnell, P. 2014 Producing a Public Awareness Event: Take Another Look. Metro Vancouver Parkfest, Burnaby BC.
Bunnell, P. 2011 Distinctions and Domains; implications for human sustainability. Invited Keynote for the Heinz von Foerster Society 100th Anniversary Conference, Vienna, Austria.
Bunnell, P. 2010 Resilience and Robustness. Invited Keynote at the International Society for Systems Sciences Conference, Waterloo, Ontario.
Bunnell, P. 2009 The Role of Love, Trust and Intimacy in Learning. Invited Keynote at the Heinz von Foerster Society Conference, Vienna, Austria.
Bunnell, P. 2008 Distinctions of Domains and Domains of Distinctions. Invited Keynote at the American Society for Cybernetics Conference Urbana, Ill.
Bunnell, P. 2008 Moments of Madness: How, and so What? Invited Keyn-ote at the Cybernetic Heritage in the Social and Human Sciences and Beyond Conference, Stockholm, Sweden.
Bunnell, P. 2008 Why Nature Makes us Well. Invited Presentation at Metro Vancouver Parkfest, Vancouver, B.C.
Bunnell, P. 2007 Why Systems Don’t Respond as We Intend. Invited Keynote at the Pollution Prevention Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Bunnell, P. 2007 Coherent Lineaging of Relational Domains and Language. Invited Keynote at the Heinz von Foerster Society Conference, Vienna, Austria.
Bunnell, P. 2007 Playing with Distinctions; Recursions and Language. Invited Keynote at the American Society for Cybernetics Conference, Urbana, Ill.
Bunnell, P. 2006 Systemic Laws, Language, and the Evolution of Cultures. Invited Keynote at the International Society for Systems Sciences Conference, Sonoma, Calif.
Bunnell, P. 2005 Evolving Lineages for Conservation and Change. Invited One day Workshop at the International Conference for Change Management Vienna, Austria
Bunnell, P. 2005. The Spirit of Sustainability. DFO Education Coordinators Workshop, Gavin Lake B.C.
Bunnell, P. 2005. Reflections in Nature. West Coast Estonian Conference, Harrison B.C.

Other Publications

The Biology of Love: Love Expands Intelligence
http://www.academia.edu/7925296/The_Biology_of_Business_Love_Expands_Intelligence

Constructivist Foundations: Volume 6 · Number 3 · Pages 287–292
Maturana Across the Disciplines
Pille Bunnell & Alexander Riegler

Abstract

Context: Humberto Maturana has generated a coherent and extensive explicatory matrix that encompasses his research in neurophysiology, cognition, language, emotion, and love. Purpose: Can we formulate a map of Maturana’s work in a manner that is consistent with the systemic matrix it represents and that serves as an aid for understanding Maturana’s philosophy without reifying its representation? Method: Our arguments are based on experience gained from teaching and presentations. Results: We present a map that that represents Maturana’s main contributions as clusters of notions clustered according to how we see them to be related to each other as a projection of a matrix of ideas onto a two-dimensional space. We claim that there are many paths through these clusters of ideas. Though ideas relevant to individuals are obtained from various partial perspectives, a deep understanding of any element is dependent on an understanding of the whole matrix. Furthermore, we summarize the contributions to this special issue on Maturana.

Key words: generative process, matrix of concepts, systemic, conceptual map, pedagogy