Confessions of a Pracademic: Searching for a Virtuous Cycle of Theory Building, Teaching, and Action Research. Issue 2 (9th April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Susskind, Lawrence
• Is Part Of: Negotiation journal. Volume 29:Issue 2(2013)
• Page Start: 225
• Page End: 237
• Publication Date: 2013-04-09
• Subjects: Conflict management -- Periodicals; Negotiation -- Periodicals; Dispute resolution (Law) -- Periodicals; 302.3
• DOI: 10.1111/nejo.12020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0748-4526

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>In this article, I describe my career as a pracademic. Over several decades, I have been able to maintain a substantial private practice in public dispute resolution and also meet the teaching, advising, and research demands of an academic career. I have achieved this by engaging primarily in action research: I begin with "problems" in the field and work collaboratively with stakeholders to generate "solutions" that meet their interests. I then document and analyze these interventions to build prescriptive theory through systematic reflection on my own involvement.</p> <p>In this article, I discuss how I have been able to achieve success as a "pracademic, " but also consider the challenges that young scholars who seek to engage in practice confront today. I further describe some possible strategies for successfully integrating a substantial practice component into an academic career in conflict resolution.</p> </abstract>