Building Transdisciplinarity for Managing Complexity: Lessons from Indigenous Practice

Apgar, Marina; Argumedo, Alejandro; Allen, Will

doi:10.18848/1833-1882/cgp/v04i05/52925

Cited by 51 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Disciplinary dynamics can give insights into the experiences and processes of transdisciplinary teams, which are not largely explored, and can favour the new trend in understanding knowledge integration by teams, instead of by individuals (Hildebrand-Zanki et al 1998;Stokols 2006;Bock Hong & Reynolds-keefer 2013). We hope that this framework -modelled on a practitioner perspective -will help close gaps in transdisciplinary practice research by addressing the current dearth of empirical evidence and frameworks for local contexts, and the lack of knowledge about process management, team dynamics and organisational change (Apgar et al 2009;Daniell et al 2010;Fam et al 2013). We envision our tentative explanatory framework to serve as a learning platform for practitioners and academics interested in understanding how transdisciplinary practices can help create multifunctional landscapes in cities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multifunctional Sydney laneway: what’s transdisciplinarity got to do with it?

Ruíz

Dobbie

Brown

2017

Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences

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Academia and industry increasingly recognise the need for multifunctional urban spaces. But how do we meet this need? Emerging responses point to the promise of transdisciplinarity. We critically reflect on this claim by analysing the role of transdisciplinary practice in the successful conversion of a Sydney laneway into a multifunctional urban space. We trace the co-existence of different disciplinary practices throughout the project stages, to better understand how much transdisciplinarity contributed to its success. A tentative explanatory framework emerges from our analysis and is offered to map the enabling conditions, disciplinary dynamics and strategies that allowed this laneway's transformation into a multifunctional space. Enabling conditions were the municipality had institutionalised a concern for the environment; an organisational change programme ensured the project's independence from the capital budget; and an environmentally aware community group played a core role. The disciplinary dynamics observed were diverse. Planning and design were transdisciplinary, but implementation and maintenance were not. Finally, practitioners used various strategies to bring actors together: they understood the political nature of the organisation; they recognised the different types of actors involved in the project, and then used appropriate language to communicate ideas and to manage risks and expectations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multifunctional Sydney laneway: what’s transdisciplinarity got to do with it?

Ruíz

Dobbie

Brown

2017

Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences

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“…Academia develops and enhances knowledge, though vital research sometimes only makes a negligible impact on society, given that key relationships and collaborations between actors or end-users in society are often nonexistent, ineffective, or even antagonistic (Brown et al 2003, Bammer 2005, Apgar et al 2009. Gaps exist between different disciplines, as well as academia or researchers and industry, practitioners, government and society.…”

Section: Introduction and Research Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Transdisciplinarity deals with the idea that social complex problems require perspectives and knowledge from diverse aspects of society, such as different research disciplines, communities, civil society, and government (Apgar et al 2009). It is driven by three key aspects: "the need for research to be problem driven, a recognition that talking across different knowledge spheres when dealing with complex problems is necessary, and a call for participation of all groups affected" (Apgar et al 2009:4).…”

Section: Introduction and Research Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For applied research to be successful, nurturing key stakeholder relationships and interactions is of utmost importance. Nonetheless, a number of challenges generally exist in stakeholder interaction in applied research, such as, different intellectual and ideological frameworks, disagreement on specific goals and interests, standards of ethical practice and accountability, power imbalances and differences, institutional structures, and marginalization of research approaches (Brown et al 2003, Bammer 2005, Eriksson et al 2005, Roloff 2008, Apgar et al 2009). …”

Section: Introduction and Research Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Complexity of Stakeholder Interaction in Applied Research

Pade-Khene¹,

Luton²,

Jordaan³

et al. 2013

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Applied research in complex integrated settings should be recognized as an endeavor that requires transdisciplinary and multisectoral stakeholder interactions. The problems faced in society are quite complex, requiring participation and knowledge from diverse aspects of society, including different disciplines (academia), communities, civil society, and government. Successful applied research relies on nurturing these key stakeholder relationships and interactions. This paper explores the key challenges of stakeholder interaction in applied research in three disciplines in the South African context, based on literature and the experience of authors in their disciplines. The three disciplines include information and communication technology for development, town and regional planning, and natural resource management. We attempt to also compare and contrast these challenges across the disciplines, to identify any commonalities and differences. After considering the mutual challenges and adaptive solutions to address these challenges in the different disciplines, we identify that all three areas in relation to stakeholder interaction appear to exhibit characteristics of complex systems, hence motivating to view applied research as a complex system. In this sense, complexity theory may provide a common language between the different disciplines examining transdisciplinary stakeholder interaction in applied research from a shared perspective.

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“…This is a compilation of oral history that makes up the collective memory of the Kuna peoples and is a holistic framework highlighting the relationship between all beings and responsibilities of the Kuna to the cosmos (Chapin 1991;Howe 2002). Furthermore, transdisciplinary inquiry approaches that deal with complexity and sustainability are fostered and encouraged by indigenous community processes of governance (Apgar et al 2009). Analyses focusing only on the similarity, difference or compatibility between traditional ecological knowledge and Western science can potentially obscure an opportunity for science to learn from working with the transdisciplinary frameworks of indigenous peoples to be more adaptive and effective in dealing with complex societal and environmental problems.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%