DOI
10.15503/jecs20171.62.78

Summary
This article is concerned with community building and lifelong learning. The purpose of the article is engage researchers and practitioners (community workers, university personnel, and lifelong learning programmers) in a discussion regarding positive processes that constitute appealing and engaging learning environments. Pstross et al introduces the article by detailing the interconnectedness community building principles and lifelong learning practices. They state that delivering lifelong learning is achieved through the pursuit of ; 1. Asset-based thinking, 2.critical reflection, 3. systems thinking, 4. cognitive vibrancy, 5. inclusiveness, 6. creative expression, and, 7. purpose in life. The authors discuss asset-based thinking stating that “every individual possess talents, skills, and experiences from which the whole community can benefit”. They also state that “asset-based thinking encourages researchers and practitioners to help community members to realise and strengthen capacities that already exist within their communities”. The authors then report and discuss the pursuit of asset-based thinking within the community development capacity. Here they state the benefits of the concept saying that it “encourages researchers and practitioners to help the community members realise and strength and capacity is that already exist within their communities”. The transformative moments of asset-based thinking is summarised in table 1. Pstross et al then report and discuss on the pursuit of systems thinking. The authors state that “systems thinking concerns the relationship between specific situations in a person’s life and the dynamics of the holes of complex systems not just individual parts. Neither exist without the other. The whole exists through continually manifesting in the parts, and the parts exist as embodiments of the whole. The offer is pose the following questions which may be useful for teaching.




What guidelines do we give to our instructors so that they present the topic is holistically?
How willing are we to pursue depth and awareness in our lining experiences?
How are we inviting learners that to share their expertise with life’s various systems?

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This article is relevant to the community development topic. It offers insight into the benefit of integrating systems thinking into community development and demonstrate the effectiveness of this integration by referencing various reputable authors. While the article does not add specific knowledge to complex systems it does however highlight the Roll that systems thinking can play in a community system. The article could be utilised as a teaching resource.

The authors define systems thinking as “the capacity to interpret the dynamics of particular phenomena in the context of a larger whole” and “systems thinking concerns the relationship between specific situations in a person’s life and the dynamics of the wholes of complex systems not just individual parts.

Point of Strength
The article makes a direct reference to integrating systems thinking into the community development process. For this reason, space that article could be considered as a useful teaching resource in a community development context. The authors provide valuable reference to authors in the field of systems thinking and community development.

The article offers a valuable definitions of systems thinking. Particularly in the context of community development making this finding useful for COSY objectives. This article could also be utilised as a teaching resource demonstrating the integration of systems thinking and community development.