Conversational Confluences at the ASC Conference: Abbie VanMeter talks with 8 participants about their experience and what cybernetics means to them.
American Society for Cybernetics Conference: Podcast live from Ouro Preto, Brazil
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Coordinated Management of Meaning
The CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution is rooted in the theory of coordinated management of meaning. “CMM describes communication as having two inseparable but different aspects: (1) coordinating actions, and (2) making/managing meaning” (Pearce, W. Barnett, 2007).
Coordinated Management of Meaning: Fellowships
Application deadline: AUG 28, 2026. CMMi Fellowships are centred around a project or paper that apply CMM concepts (making social worlds together in communication).
On Collaborative Hardball as a new negotiation with Susan Coleman
Abbie van Meter and Susan Coleman discuss Susan’s new book, Collaborative Hardball: Using the Power of a New Negotiation as Women to Change the World and what a “new negotiation” looks like for women and everyone.
Abbie van Meter asks Jenn Chan, “What can you imagine for a better world?”
Jennifer Chan, CEO, Department of Imaginary Affairs, discusses the relationship between communication, stories, and imagination for designing better social worlds.
On Unlearning Ableism
PODCAST. Jamie Shields and Celia Chartres-Aris explore disability through the lens of a communication perspective and unlearning our internalized ableism as a necessary step for all of us.
Co-Creating Social Worlds Symposium
FEB 27–28 | New York City, NY, USA. Making change through dialogue, collaboration, and relational practices in times of division. Waitlist.
What if…? Robyn Penman’s substack is live
Robyn Penman is a scholar and long-time observer and critic of our social world asking “what if…?.” to open a path to a new world of being with others.
RSD14-CMMi: Relational Connectedness
OCT 11, 2025 | ONLINE. A space for designers to explore the question of how we would go about designing better social worlds through our communication, relationships, and the larger systems in which we are a part.
Coordinated Management of Meaning Institute (CMMi) at RSD14-ONLINE
OCT 11 2025 | ONLINE. Relational Connectedness. CMMi at RSD14-ONLINE is day for designers to explore the question of how we would go about designing better social worlds through our communication, relationships, and the larger systems in which we are a part. Check out the CMMi articles featured below.
CMMi—Co-Creating Social Worlds in Relationship with Others
Abbie VanMeter: CMM has evolved into an important perspective and practice that foregrounds relationality as central to meaning-making, is increasingly applicable in everyday life, and remains rooted in a strong theoretical foundation.
CMMi—On Relational Construction with Sheila McNamee
CMM community conversations—What are you constructing in your relationships? Sheila McNamee’s work is focused on dialogic transformation within a variety of social and institutional contexts including psychotherapy, education, healthcare, organizations, and communities.
CMMi—On Designing Complex Conversations with Celiane Camargo-Borges
CMM community conversations—How do we understand the complexity of who we are and who we are becoming? Abbie and Celiane use social construction as a framework to explore forming futures, intent v. impact, “good” design, and sustainability transitions.
CMMi—Predictions, Expectations, and the Neurobiology of Sensemaking with Rachel Lilley
CMM community conversations—Abbie and Rachel are two ’embodied minds’ exploring the neurobiology of sensemaking. Rachel Lilley’s RSD13 keynote and Sightlines article are available on RSDsymposium.org.
CMMi(ish)—Design Thinking and Social Construction
Camargo-Borges and McNamee’s 2022 book introduces the constructionist research design process as a framework for research that is creative, transformative and innovative. The link goes to the first 19-pages.
On Emergent Sensemaking and Social Cohesion
CMM Podcast: Abbie and Karina Solsø discuss emergent sense-making the tensions of plurality by embracing not knowing and creating social coherence through the responsibility of ethics.
Justice in the Making: Relating, Participating, Communicating
Preview of Robyn Penman’s new book by Sheila McNamee, “we are asked to consider a complete reconceptualization of justice. What if we inhabit a space where justice is something we make together rather than an abstract, ideal standard for resource distribution, legal decisions, and for moral conduct?”
Podcast: Stories Lived. Stories Told
Abbie VanMeter and guests look at patterns, contexts, stories, and relationships—and the role of curiosity, mindfulness, collaboration, and dialogue to create better social worlds for ourselves.
Meeting of the Waters: At the Relating Systems Thinking and Design conference
RSD13 featured a paper and workshop incorporating the theory of the coordinated management of meaning within the river of conversations. The CMM Institute plans to further strengthen these relationships, fostering transdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.
Textbook: Interpersonal Communication 8th edition is out
Eight edition of Arthur Jensen and Sarah Trenholm’s textbook is available. It offers guidance on human interaction and is reviewed as “the text I wish I had as an undergraduate student.”