Fostering horizontal knowledge co-production with Indigenous people by leveraging researchers' transdisciplinary intentions

Abstract

Transdisciplinarity involves knowledge co-production with non-academics. This co-production can be horizontal when equal consideration is given to the contributions from different knowledges and ways of knowing. However, asymmetric power relations and colonial patterns of behavior, which are deeply rooted in academic culture, may hinder horizontality. Using Icek Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior, we elicited and analyzed the attitudes, perceptions, and behavioral intentions towards knowledge co-production of a team of seven Ecuadorian biologists while they were conducting fieldwork in Indigenous communities. All biologists acknowledged the benefits of collaborating with indigenous people. However, researchers with less fieldwork experience held unfavorable attitudes towards knowledge co-production. While all criticized the colonial biases of Ecuadorian society, more experienced participants were the only ones who perceived colonial dynamics as intrinsic to dominant scientific practices, and who expressed favorable attitudes towards horizontal co-production. They also perceived lower social pressure against co-production and greater behavioral control (i. e., greater confidence in their ability to perform co-production) than their peers; all of which confirmed their stronger behavioral intention to perform transdisciplinary co-production. Our analysis identified three structural factors affecting researchers' intentions:(1) disciplinarity predispositions acquired through formal education, (2) lack of decolonial approaches in academic curricula, and (3) pressures in academia to do more in less time. Personal decisions by more experienced participants, such as voluntarily engaging with transdisciplinary training or cultivating personal connections with Indigenous culture, appeared to be key enablers of horizontal forms of co-production. Understanding researchers' behavioral intentions might be key to seize, or waste, the decolonization opportunities brought about by the rapid advance of transdisciplinarity that is taking place in fields like sustainability or conservation science.

Transdisciplinarity in transformative ocean governance research—reflections of early career researchers

“…Finally, transdisciplinary research can be understood as knowledge production that either transcends different disciplines (Max-Neef, 2005;Heinzmann et al, 2019), or that transcends the disciplines to work with non-academics (Uiterkamp and Vlek, 2007;Manuel-Navarrete et al, 2021). In their review of 59 sustainability-focused completed research projects, Jahn et al (2021) found a spectrum of different forms of transdisciplinarity among a diversity of research approaches that reveal five different research modes with different approaches and outcomes.…”

“…a process of joint knowledge production characterized by the inclusion of scientific and non-scientific perspectives and real-world practice (Schreiber et al, 2022) "focus on transcending [academic] disciplines and engagement with external stakeholders" (Benham and Daniell, 2016). "knowledge co-production with non-academics" (Manuel-Navarrete et al, 2021).…”

“…While transdisciplinary research needs to include nonacademic actors (Figures 4 and 5;Mauser et al, 2013;Manuel-Navarrete et al, 2021) the knowledge generated by some participants, such as Indigenous communities, has largely been ignored in traditionally western(colonial) research agendas (see Smith, 1999;Johannes et al, 2000;Chilisa, 2019). The historical disregard of this valuable knowledge has misinformed management (Johannes et al, 2000), created distrust between the disregarded actors and researchers and in some instances has been used against Indigenous communities further fueling animosity (Keane et al, 2017).…”

“…It is important to understand how local knowledge may have previously been ignored (see Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2013), be sensitive to the situation and allow methodologies to adapt to a specific narrative (see Nhemachena et al, 2016). Awareness of how knowledge co-production with non-academics is often influenced by "asymmetric power relations and colonial patterns of behaviour" that are rooted in academic culture and practices is also important (Manuel-Navarrete et al, 2021). ECRs can strive to achieve equity in research practices if consideration is given to different ways of knowing, knowledges and knowledge systems (Manuel-Navarrete et al, 2021).…”

“…Awareness of how knowledge co-production with non-academics is often influenced by "asymmetric power relations and colonial patterns of behaviour" that are rooted in academic culture and practices is also important (Manuel-Navarrete et al, 2021). ECRs can strive to achieve equity in research practices if consideration is given to different ways of knowing, knowledges and knowledge systems (Manuel-Navarrete et al, 2021). This reiterates the need to build capacity and skills to conduct this, and to share tools, good practices, as well as lessons learnt, among researchers to enhance capacities.…”