Sandra Kensen, Ph.D.
Tilburg, The Netherlands
Email: sandrakensen@gmail.com
Sandra Kensen (1968) studied political science at the University of Amsterdam, and holds a PhD from Erasmus University Rotterdam, in the field of public administration. Her PhD research, entitled Managing on Diversity, is inspired by social constructionism (Kenneth Gergen), actor-network theory (Bruno Latour), and the configuration approach (Henk van Dongen). Her interest has always been the changing relationship between local governments and citizens, in particular when efforts are made to improve citizen engagement and governmental responsiveness in order to truly co-create their futures. As a post-doc researcher at Roskilde University (Denmark), Sandra studied narratives and their role in local policy evaluation. When she returned to The Netherlands, she lectured at Tilburg University on organizing, intervention, and change.
Since 2006 Sandra has been working with practitioners as a consultant, coach, and teacher, so she can be more part of the action in communities. For instance, she leads a program about appreciative inquiry for city managers at Sioo – inter-university center for organizational change and learning in Utrecht. And she works for several Dutch local governments, helping to facilitate interactions between them and their communities, and doing so in an appreciative manner. This work offers a valuable opportunity to put social constructionism into action within a political context.
