Welcome to the website of Dr Sean McNelis.
The major focus of his current research is Functional Collaboration, a new way of understanding and doing science that facilitates collaboration between researchers. Functional collaboration integrates a range of methods for understanding the past and looking to the future.
His other three areas of interest are housing, economics and philosophy.
In recent years, his work on housing research has focused on two foundational questions:
- what are we doing when we are doing housing research and policy?
- how do we make progress in housing?
He is seeking to promote functional collaboration within housing research as a way of dealing with this complex set of issues. He is also working on a comprehensive heuristic of housing, one which is applicable to housing in many diverse forms throughout the world. See his book, Making Progress in Housing: A Framework for Collaborative Research for an extensive discussion of these issues.
This website also presents material on a new economics. Indeed, it makes the claim that this new economics is the beginnings of the science of economics.
The inspiration for his research is the ground breaking work of the Canadian methodologist, philosopher, theologian and economist, Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984).
He would welcome any feedback or questions you may have on the research presented on this website.
Functional Collaboration as Futurology
In April 2023, I made a presentation to the Australian Lonergan Workshop (held in Melbourne, Australia) on functional collaboration as futurology – the functional specialties link research and policy and…
Transitioning to World Care: Functional Collaboration
In June 2023, the XX ISA World Congress of Sociology was held in Melbourne. Included in this post are the text and slides of my 15 minute presentation. Presentation (PDF…
Livability, equity and well-being as values: what role does housing play?
In July 2022, the Asia-Pacific Network for Housing Research held its annual conference online. Included in this post are the text and video of the short presentation as well as…
The new economics
The starting point for a new economic heuristic is to distinguish two different circuits of production: A basic circuit which produces goods and services such as food, housing (or housing…
Functional collaboration post
“A cycle of functional specialties: a framework for collaborative creativity” Functional collaboration is a new way of understanding and doing science. It is a cyclic process that is aligned with…
Towards an integrated comprehensive heuristic for housing research
One of key challenges of housing research is to develop a comprehensive heuristic that can be used as a framework for understanding any housing system. (A heuristic is guide for…
Thinking is hard work
Thinking is hard work. As any student, post-grad or researcher will affirm, it bring with it many emotions – tension, anger, doubt, elation. To be a researcher involves being able…