Not just power: Exploring transitions as fluidity relationality in Participatory Design

Power is often a focal point in PD methods to address challenges and facilitate change. However, what happens when in some socio-cultural contexts, power is not a topic to be mentioned and an ineffective lever for change? How might shifts in dynamics be supported? This paper reflects on ‘Purpose Model’, a visualisation method that has gained emerging popularity in Japan. This method intentionally avoids addressing power, even though this exists within hierarchical social structures of Japan. Instead of power, the Purpose Model catalyses relational fluidity for stakeholders to become self-reflective of their positionality and modify their behaviours in relation to others. This paper explores socio-cultural constructs in Japan, like the constant, transitional nature of becoming and Ba of Emptiness (place of empty potential) as relational dynamics in hierarchical conditions, activated by the Purpose Model to scaffold social change.