Stories in social-ecological knowledge cocreation

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Transformations in social-ecological systems to overturn poverty and ecosystem degradation require approaches to knowledge synthesis that are inclusive and open to creative innovation. We draw on interviews with participants and in-depth process observation of an iterative knowledge cocreation process in Kenya and Mozambique that brought together scientists, community representatives, government representatives, and practitioners who had expertise or experience in poverty and/or coastal natural resource use and management. We analyze the communicative spaces opened by techniques of system diagrams and future scenarios, and provide a rich account of the emergent process of developing a "shared conceptual repertoire" as a basis for effective communication and knowledge synthesis. Our results highlight the difficulties of challenging dominant narratives and the creative potential that exists in reflecting on their underpinning assumptions. In our analysis, stories and lived experiences emerged as key means shaping the construction of shared concepts and ideas. We conclude by outlining the implications of designing knowledge cocreation processes that support the task of devising systemic interventions that are robust for a range of future scenarios. This includes embracing the role of stories in generating shared meanings and opening up spaces for exploration of knowledge assumptions that are embedded in intervention narratives.

Transformative spaces in the making: key lessons from nine cases in the Global South

“…However, through this synthesis we have aimed to engage in a different way of working together to integrate perspectives from all parts of the world, without one dominating over the other. (Hebinck et al 2018) Eindhoven (Netherlands), Tuscany (Italy), Burkina Faso, Tanzania Good anthropocenes (Pereira et al 2018a) Southern Africa Stories for co-creation (Galafassi et al 2018) Mombasa (Southern coast of Kenya), Cabo Delgado (Northern coast of Mozambique) Transdisciplinary research Peri-urban South Asia Southern Africa Food lab (Drimie et al 2018) South Africa, particularly Mopani District in Limpopo and the site of the agro-ecology and leadership training facility in Soweto Global fellowship (Moore et al 2018) Global, with strong emphasis on Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and South America Gender meetings (Dyer 2018) Western Province, Solomon Islands Each of the nine case studies are published in a special issue on Designing Transformative Spaces (Table 1). The Special Issue aimed to collect examples of cutting-edge, actionoriented research on transformations from the Global South.…”

Systems thinking for planning and evaluating conservation interventions

“…The diagrams allowed for perceptions to be discussed clearly and openly, allowing for different perceptions on system and its desired trajectory to emerge (Galafassi et al, 2018). The diagrams allowed for perceptions to be discussed clearly and openly, allowing for different perceptions on system and its desired trajectory to emerge (Galafassi et al, 2018).…”

“…In Kenya and Mozambique, researchers used systems diagrams to explore diverse narratives of change in coastal communities with representatives from government, NGOs, universities, and communities. The diagrams allowed for perceptions to be discussed clearly and openly, allowing for different perceptions on system and its desired trajectory to emerge (Galafassi et al, 2018). Processes like this can be used as a starting point for designing actions that acknowledge the diverse values and perceptions of actors in the system.…”

The Framing of Urban Sustainability Transformations

“…Co-production is essential as part of the transformation process; it challenges status-quo thinking, the entrenched dominant narrative, and unjust power dynamics. Co-production of knowledge through collaborations of dominant and marginalized stakeholders creates new networks, sparks transformative ideas, and empowers agents with new capacities [53]. Yet, to mitigate challenges of co-production and ensure the best outcomes of the co-production process, rigorous collaborative process and standards are necessary [49,54].…”