Collective action, community-based work, and narrative analysis with Carmen van Bruggen
Researcher Carmen van Bruggen of the University of Groningen is conducting her doctoral research on the phenomenon of auzolan (community-based work) in the Frisian region of the Netherlands (known as Mienskip) and is comparing these practices with their counterparts in the Basque Country. Although not widely known, this type of collective and supportive response to community needs is common in traditional cultures and has persisted over time, particularly in rural settings.
The purpose of the meeting with Carmen van Bruggen was to learn more about this research and to explore how it relates to other research projects and programs being carried out by ALC. Since it is not possible to promote transformative innovation processes that do not respond to the social and cultural dynamics of the region, we are interested in examining how we are currently interpreting these types of collaborative strategies and what form they are taking.
From the farmhouse to the Mondragon Cooperativism
In this context, the discussion focused on the historical relationship between the traditional farming community and cooperation, highlighting how its self-sufficiency did not preclude community collaboration for tasks that exceeded individual capacity. An analogy was drawn between this model and the Mondragon cooperative system: autonomous structures interconnected through a network, a balance that has historically fostered greater social resilience.
K Tool and the Guggenheim Case
From a methodological perspective, participants discussed the potential of K Tool, the digital community listening platform developed and used by ALC for large-scale qualitative data processing, referring to the extensive work conducted in connection with the public debate on the expansion of the Guggenheim Museum. During that process, more than 1,000 real-life narratives were collected to identify underlying patterns and conduct comparative analyses. Thanks to this tool, it was possible to structure different levels of interpretation and systematically cross-reference people’s stories with their everyday actions.
Following this first meeting in Bilbao, Carmen van Bruggen will continue her research in Gipuzkoa over the coming days.