From interdisciplinary to inter‐epistemological approaches: Confronting the challenges of integrated climate change research

Abstract

Spurred by the literature on climate change and its calls for undertaking holistic research that more fully integrates the work of biophysical and social scientists, this article responds to the question: To what extent has climate change research in Canada embraced and been guided by the theories and tenets associated with interdisciplinarity and to what extent have integrated approaches been sensitive to cross‐cultural perspectives? It provides an overview of some of the epistemological issues raised in the interdisciplinarity literature that particularly impact research development and design. Furthermore, since much of the climate change literature that claims to be integrated or interdisciplinary draws from Indigenous Knowledge (IK), additional insights are provided from this perspective. The article develops a framework that can be used to undertake and/or evaluate research in a way that acknowledges “upstream” epistemological issues. The framework is then used to evaluate a comprehensive database (n = 282) of Canadian climate change articles. It is argued that an interdisciplinary approach adds a critical voice to the literature on integrated climate change research and is valuable because of its focus on epistemology and methodology. The article advocates the creation of a space for inter‐epistemological acknowledgement in which the academy develops an ethos of self‐reflection, while simultaneously respecting and integrating parallel knowledge frameworks, such as IK.

The contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to ecological restoration

“…Some authors specifically working with IPLC and restoration have noticed that ILK has often been neglected in ecological restoration programs (e.g. Robertson et al ; Mills ; Wehi & Lord ), arguably because of what Murphy () calls the “epistemological authority” of Western, objectivist thinking among restoration and conservation ecologists. For instance, traditional IPLC‐prescribed burning regimes are often dismissed in policy circles (Welch et al ; Mistry et al ), despite increasing evidence that fire management can contribute to wildfire prevention, climate change mitigation, and landscape heterogeneity (Defossé et al ; Russell‐Smith et al ).…”

Mapping Human Dimensions of Climate Change Research in the Canadian Arctic

“…This kind of interaction is evident in early studies and today, but projects reviewed here are increasingly involving communities throughout the research process, including research design and application, and interpretation and verification of results, building long-term partnerships (e.g., Ford et al 2006a, b;Gearheard et al 2006;Laidler and Ikummaq 2008;Laidler and Elee 2008;Laidler et al 2009;Weatherhead et al 2010). In doing so, researchers have acknowledged that if Arctic field science is to be rigorous, cost-effective, meaningful to communities, and conducted in an ethical manner, new models of collaboration are needed that engage local people as partners not subjects (Pearce et al 2009;Murphy 2011).…”

Political Ecology Approach to Island Tourism Planning and Climate Change Adaptation: A Methodological Exploration

“…Human activities such as tourism, which depend on natural environment amenities (for instance, pleasant climate and beaches) and interconnections via networks of transport, personal contacts, and cultures is one area of human activity for which an interdisciplinary approach to the study climate change impacts is essential (Mimura et al, 2007). An inter-disciplinary approach adds a much-needed critical voice to integrated climate change research because of its focus on finding new methods of finding new knowledge and on applying this new knowledge to particular settings (Murphy, 2011). After all, "adaptation to climate change on small islands is not only a technical challenge, but particularly a political and social task" (Petzold, 2015).…”