Agency and Power in Transdisciplinary Research: Applying Insights from Critical Social Science to Strengthen Reflexivity

About

With the ‘polycrisis’ looming, humanity is facing unprecedented social-ecological challenges at planetary scale, which demands transformation of unsustainable societies. But who gets to define what a “good transformation” is? In line with power and justice scholars (Bennett et al. 2019; Cousins 2021; Massarella et. Al 2021; Newell et al. 2021; Sovacool et al. 2023), we argue that a “good transformation” cannot be pursued without considering issues of power, agency, and justice. For example, the way in which the problem is defined, by whom, and with what interests, already shapes the thinking about the problem’s causes and how to tackle them. Thus, power relations shape the problem framing with fundamental consequences for the process and outcome of the transformation. In so doing, power relations influence from the start which actors and interests will be considered, which reinforces unjust structures and conditions instead of transforming them. Such insights from research on power in sustainability transformations offer important learnings also for the design of transdisciplinary research (e.g., Avelino et al. 2019; Avelino, 2021; Newell et al., 2021; Turnhout & Lahsen 2022).

Considering the fundamental importance of power and agency in all stages of the transdisciplinary research process, we see a need to reflect on, and potentially improve, the ability of existing transdisciplinary research tools to address power imbalances explicitly (Chambers et al. 2022; Deutsch et al. 2023; Fritz & Meinherz 2020). Transdisciplinary research builds on the assumption that it is possible to shift and share power. A central idea is the empowerment of marginalized actors through capacity-building and involvement in knowledge coproduction processes, which, however, may lead to unintended disempowerment effects (e.g., by creating new dependence relationships) (Avelino 2017; Avelino et al. 2019).

In this webinar we will explore existing transdisciplinary research tools in an interactive workshop format, aiming to:

• enhance reflexivity and identify how power and agency can be better considered in transdisciplinary research practice;
• improve critical social science skills of transdisciplinary researchers;
• foster exchange on transdisciplinary research tools that address power and agency.

Program

16:00 – 16:05 | Introduction

16:05 – 16:20 | Presentation on power and agency in sustainability transformations

16:20 – 16:25 | Explanation of the tasks for the break-out groups

16:25 – 16:40 | Break-out groups: familiarization with one transdisciplinary research tool

16:40 – 17:10 | Break-out groups: reflection on power and agency issues regarding this tool

17:10 – 17:30 | Synthesis and closing

Speakers/Facilitators

André Mascarenhas, Institute for Landscape Planning and Ecology (ILPÖ), University of Stuttgart, Germany

Benjamin Hofmann, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Switzerland

Franziska Ehnert, Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Germany

Jasmin Jossin, Design Department, Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, Germany

Sierra Deutsch, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Registration

Participants should register by October 1st, by emailing website@td-academy.org with the subject “Registration webinar Agency and power in TDR” and indicating their name and affiliation in the main message body.

Key readings

Deutsch, S., Keller, R., Krug, C.B., Michel, A.H. (2023). Transdisciplinary transformative change: An analysis of some best practices and barriers, and the potential of critical social science in getting us there. Biodivers. Conserv. 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-023-02576-0

Fritz, L. and Meinherz, F. (2020). Tracing power in transdisciplinary sustainability research: an exploration. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 29.1, pp. 41–51. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.29.1.9

Kaljonen, M., Jacobi, J., Korhonen-Kurki, K. et al. (2024). Reflexive use of methods: a framework for navigating different types of knowledge and power in transformative research. Sustainability Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-024-01472-y

References

Avelino, F., 2017. Power in Sustainability Transitions: Analysing Power and (Dis)Empowerment in Transformative Change towards Sustainability: Power in Sustainability Transitions. Env. Pol. Gov. 27, 505–520. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1777

Avelino, F., Wittmayer, J.M., Pel, B., Weaver, P., Dumitru, A., Haxeltine, A., Kemp, R., Jørgensen, M.S., Bauler, T., Ruijsink, S., O’Riordan, T., 2019. Transformative social innovation and (dis)empowerment. Technological Forecasting and Social Change 145, 195–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2017.05.002

Avelino, F., 2021. Theories of power and social change: Power contestations and their implications for research on social change and innovation. Journal of Political Power 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/2158379X.2021.1875307

Bennett, N.J., Blythe, J., Cisneros-Montemayor, A.M., Singh, G.G., Sumaila, U.R., 2019. Just transformations to sustainability. Sustainability 11, 3881. 10.3390/su11143881

Chambers, J.M., Wyborn, C., Klenk, N.L., Ryan, M., Serban, A., Bennett, N.J., Brennan, R., Charli-Joseph, L., Fernández-Giménez, M.E., Galvin, K.A., 2022. Co-productive agility and four collaborative pathways to sustainability transformations. Glob. Environ. Chang. 72, 102422. 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102422

Cousins, J.J., 2021. Justice in nature-based solutions: Research and pathways. Ecol. Econ. 180, 106874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106874

Deutsch, S., Keller, R., Krug, C.B., Michel, A.H., 2023. Transdisciplinary transformative change: An analysis of some best practices and barriers, and the potential of critical social science in getting us there. Biodivers. Conserv. 1–26. 10.1007/s10531-023-02576-0

Fougères, D., Jones, M., McElwee, P.D., Andrade, A., Edwards, S.R., 2022. Transformative conservation of ecosystems. Glob. Sustain. 5. 10.1017/sus.2022.4

Fritz, L. and Meinherz, F. (2020). Tracing power in transdisciplinary sustainability research: an exploration. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 29.1, pp. 41–51. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.29.1.9

Massarella, K., Nygren, A., Fletcher, R., Büscher, B., Kiwango, W.A., Komi, S., Krauss, J.E., Mabele, M.B., McInturff, A., Sandroni, L.T., 2021. Transformation beyond conservation: How critical social science can contribute to a radical new agenda in biodiversity conservation. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain. 49, 79–87. 10.1016/j.cosust.2021.03.005

Newell, P., Srivastava, S., Naess, L.O., Torres Contreras, G.A., Price, R., 2021. Toward transformative climate justice: An emerging research agenda. WIREs Climate Change 12. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.733

Sovacool, B.K., Bell, S.E., Daggett, C., Labuski, C., Lennon, M., Naylor, L., Klinger, J., Leonard, K., Firestone, J., 2023. Pluralizing energy justice: Incorporating feminist, anti-racist, Indigenous, and postcolonial perspectives. Energy Research & Social Science 97, 102996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2023.102996

Turnhout, E., Lahsen, M., 2022. Transforming environmental research to avoid tragedy. Clim. Dev. 1–5. 10.1080/17565529.2022.2062287