UH Manoa Department of Urban and Regional Planning Research Highlight: Spring 2022
This edition of our UH Manoa Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) research highlight piece focuses on Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) candidate, Scott Allen's, thesis study. Scott's thesis explores the beliefs of planners at different stages of their careers and how the experiences of these planners influenced their professional identities. He is currently the Program Officer of the University of Hawaii Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education and a PhD student in the Department of Learning Design and Technology. Additional information on Scott's thesis as well as his background and research interests are included below.
Readers may obtain a copy of Scott's thesis via UH Manoa's ScholarSpace website. Scott may also be reached directly at sfalle2@hawaii.edu if there are questions about his thesis or work.
Learning to see Through the Spectrum of Theory—It Takes Practice: Casting a Phenomenological Gaze into the Becoming of Professional Planners in America
By Scott Allen
Professional identity is made up of the beliefs associated with a given field and is formed through a process known as professional socialization (Cruess et al., 2015; Hinshaw, 1977; Mcgowen & Hart, 1990). When successful, this process results not only in providing a clear image of what the professional role requires, but also in equipping the practitioner to effectively carry out the duties associated with the profession (Ibarra, 1999). Diverse planning theories developed over the past several decades are thought to help planners imagine themselves in their professional role and guide their actions in practice, but little is known about the beliefs of practicing planners or how they relate to planning theory. Going further, little is known about what shapes these beliefs in the first place. The purpose of this mixed-methods post-intentional phenomenological study was to describe the beliefs of planners at different stages of their career while illuminating the experiences that have shaped them into who they are as a professional. Carried out in two phases, study findings from Phase I include quantified beliefs of the planner’s role, approach, and philosophies as they relate to planning theory. Phase II findings include the illumination of the production of becoming a planner. This production was analyzed using Elder Vass’s (2010, 2012) critical realist theory of emergence, uncovering two provocations which provoke the production of becoming a planner: micro-interactions and macro-interactions. Together, these provocations gaze into the planner’s experience becoming socialized into the profession while providing insights which should be of interest to planning students, educators, administrators, and practitioners alike.
Scott Allen
Scott Allen, known by many simply as Cloudwatcher, is the Program Officer of the University of Hawaiʻi Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education and a PhD student in the Department of Learning Design and Technology. Inspired by a decade of experiences with non-government and community-based organizations in the field of international development, he aligns his professional and academic work with the ideals of participatory learning and action. Currently, this work focuses on integrating planning and formal education to provide young people in Hawaii with meaningful opportunities to engage in processes that shape our archipelago as a region. His research interests are located at the intersection of philosophy, methodology, learning sciences, and planning—manifesting as topics related to spatial cognition, civic design, professional learning, and regional innovation.