[PDF] Transdisciplinary Perspectives On Transitions To Sustainability eBook

Author : Edmond Byrne
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 268 pages
File Size : 19,85 MB
Release : 2016-06-17
Category : Science
ISBN : 131700793X

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Demonstrating how a university can, in a very practical and pragmatic way, be re-envisioned through a transdisciplinary informed frame, this book shows how through an open and collegiate spirit of inquiry the most pressing and multifaceted issue of contemporary societal (un)sustainability can be addressed and understood in a way that transcends narrow disciplinary work. It also provides a practical exemplar of how far more meaningful deliberation, understandings and options for action in relation to contemporary sustainability-related crises can emerge than could otherwise be achieved. Indeed it helps demonstrate how only through a transdisciplinary ethos and approach can real progress be achieved. The fact that this can be done in parallel to (or perhaps underneath) the day-to-day business of the university serves to highlight how even micro seed initiatives can further the process of breaking down silos and reuniting C.P. Snow’s ‘two cultures’ after some four centuries of the relentless project of modernity. While much has been written and talked about with respect to both sustainability and transdisciplinarity, this book offers a pragmatic example which hopefully will signpost the ways others can, will and indeed must follow in our common quest for real progress.

Author : Edmond Byrne
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 287 pages
File Size : 20,68 MB
Release : 2016-06-17
Category : Science
ISBN : 1317007921

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Demonstrating how a university can, in a very practical and pragmatic way, be re-envisioned through a transdisciplinary informed frame, this book shows how through an open and collegiate spirit of inquiry the most pressing and multifaceted issue of contemporary societal (un)sustainability can be addressed and understood in a way that transcends narrow disciplinary work. It also provides a practical exemplar of how far more meaningful deliberation, understandings and options for action in relation to contemporary sustainability-related crises can emerge than could otherwise be achieved. Indeed it helps demonstrate how only through a transdisciplinary ethos and approach can real progress be achieved. The fact that this can be done in parallel to (or perhaps underneath) the day-to-day business of the university serves to highlight how even micro seed initiatives can further the process of breaking down silos and reuniting C.P. Snow’s ‘two cultures’ after some four centuries of the relentless project of modernity. While much has been written and talked about with respect to both sustainability and transdisciplinarity, this book offers a pragmatic example which hopefully will signpost the ways others can, will and indeed must follow in our common quest for real progress.

Author : Ian Hughes
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 278 pages
File Size : 27,27 MB
Release : 2021-07-29
Category : Science
ISBN : 1000407004

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This book offers an eclectic range of transdisciplinary insights into the role of metaphor, myth and fable in shaping our understanding of the world and how we interact with it and with each other. Drawing on innovative perspectives from widely different fields, this book explores how metaphor might facilitate and underpin transformative change towards environmental, ecological and societal sustainability. It illustrates the ways in which contemporary metaphors lock us into patterns of thinking, modes of behaviour, and styles of living that reproduce and accentuate our current socio-environmental problems. It sets itself the task of finding new metaphors and myths that might help move us towards sustainability as societal flourishing. By examining the use of metaphor in diverse fields such as energy use, the food system, health care, arts and the humanities, it invites the reader to reflect on the deep-seated influence of language in general, and metaphor in particular, in shaping how we understand and act upon the world. Re-imagining the use of language in framing both the problems we face and the solutions we devise, this novel contribution is a vital source of ideas for those aiming to change how we think and act in pursuit of more sustainable futures.

Author :
Publisher :
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 41,37 MB
Release : 2022
Category :
ISBN : 9789463617512

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Governing transitions toward sustainable futures is notoriously challenging. In this thesis we examine the role of transdisciplinary experimentation as a mode of governance toward sustainability. We specifically zoom in on the politics and governance of transdisciplinary experimentation and ask the question: “How may we understand the governance and politics of transdisciplinary experimentation in sustainability transitions?” After first setting the stage in Part I, we theoretically explore different perspectives on the politics of sustainability transition governance (Part II), considering both normative and causal interpretations of politics. In Part III then, we present a tale of two systems, highlighting how R&I systems are coupled to food systems, and how transdisciplinary approaches aimed at sustainability transitions could be further stimulated. Then, in Part IV a number of empirical studies are presented, elaborating on the governance and politics of transdisciplinary experimentation. These studies resulted from our engagement in the EU FIT4FOOD2030 project. In the final part (Part V) we present the main findings, cross-cutting themes, future research directions and reflections, and we provide recommendations for transdisciplinary R&I projects and policy makers. The main contributions of this thesis, we contend, are that by combining a strong theoretical focus on the politics of sustainability transitions with our action-oriented engagement in a transition-oriented project, we were able to (1) illuminate the different ways in which multi-scale, multi-level and multi-system dynamics ‘hit the ground’ in transdisciplinary experimentation processes, shedding light on the translocal dynamics of experimentation and the role of transdisciplinary R&I in EU food system transformation.

Author : Steen Hyldgaard Christensen
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 437 pages
File Size : 19,51 MB
Release : 2023-01-16
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 3031116011

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This book presents a critical examination of conversations between engineering, social sciences, and the humanities asking whether their conversations have come of age. These conversations are important because ultimately their outcome have real world consequences in engineering education and practice, and for the social and material world we inhabit. Taken together the 21 chapters provide scholarly-argued responses to the following questions. Why are these conversations important for engineering, for social sciences, and for the humanities? Are there key places in practice, in the curriculum, and in institutions where these conversations can develop best? What are the barriers to successful conversations? What proposals can be made for deepening these conversations for the future? How would we know that the conversations have come of age, and who gets to decide? The book appeals to scholarly audiences that come together through their work in engineering education and practice. The chapters of the book probes and access the meetings and conversations, and they explore new avenues for strengthening dialogues that transcend narrow disciplinary confines and divisions. “The volume offers a rich collection of descriptive resources and theoretical tools that will be useful for researchers of engineering practices, and for those aiming to reshape the engineering lifeworld through new policies. The book depicts the current state of the art of the most visible SSH contributions to shaping engineering practices, as well as a map of research gaps and policy problems that still need to be explored.” - Dr. Ir. Lavinia Marin, TU Delft, Electrical Engineering and Philosophy

Author :
Publisher : Pathways to Sustainability
Page : 248 pages
File Size : 23,73 MB
Release : 2021-09-03
Category : Sustainable development
ISBN : 9780367355234

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The book draws on content and cases from across the 'Pathways' Transformative Knowledge Network; an international group of six regional hubs working on sustainability challenges in their own local or national contexts. It draws inputs from North and South, mirroring the universality of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Author : Walter Leal Filho
Publisher : Springer
Page : 318 pages
File Size : 10,49 MB
Release : 2016-06-23
Category : Science
ISBN : 3319329332

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This book discusses essential approaches and methods in connection with engineering education for sustainable development. Prepared as a follow-up to the 2015 Engineering Education in Sustainable Development (EESD) Conference held in British Columbia, Canada, it offers the engineering community key information on the latest trends and developments in this important field. Reflecting the need to address the links between formal and informal education, the scholars and professionals who contribute to this book show by means of case studies and projects how the goal of fostering sustainable development in the context of engineering education can be achieved. In particular, they discuss the need for restructuring teaching at engineering‐focused institutions of higher education and provide practical examples of how to do so. The book places special emphasis on state-of-the art descriptions of approaches, methods, initiatives and projects from around the world, illustrating the contribution of engineering and affiliated sciences to sustainable development in various contexts, and at an international scale.

Author : Benno Werlen
Publisher :
Page : pages
File Size : 15,80 MB
Release : 2015
Category :
ISBN : 9783319164786

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This book offers new perspectives of transdisciplinary research, in methodological as well as theoretical respects. It provides insights in the two-fold bio-physical and the socio-cultural global embeddedness of local living conditions on the basis of selected empirical studies from Latin America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. The theoretical foundations of ecological research and sustainability policies were developed at the end of the nineteenth century. They are largely based on investigations of living spaces, and the evolution and differentiation of varied life forms. This perspective is embedded in the practical and theoretical European problem situations of the past and lacks social and cultural differentiation. The transformation of spatial and natural relations as a result of the globalization process is so radical that new theories are needed to solve 21st century ecological problems. Moreover, in view of the lack of an ontologically sound and promising strategy for transdisciplinary problem solving, as well as an acceptable consideration of the power of cultural schemas relating to natural living's interpretations, there is a strong need to focus on sustainable social practices, habits, and routines, rather than on predominantly living spaces or eco-topes. This book elaborates on the transdisciplinary approach by reflecting on the theoretical heritage and a global perspective of sustainability, by focusing on the primary role of a social approach in sustainability research, and by putting emphasis on cultural dimension of sustainability. It postulates that global sustainability is grounded in a global understanding of our everyday activities.

Author : Mark Swilling
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 331 pages
File Size : 43,59 MB
Release : 2019-11-06
Category : Nature
ISBN : 042960372X

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With transitions to more sustainable ways of living already underway, this book examines how we understand the underlying dynamics of the transitions that are unfolding. Without this understanding, we enter the future in a state of informed bewilderment. Every day we are bombarded by reports about ecosystem breakdown, social conflict, economic stagnation and a crisis of identity. There is mounting evidence that deeper transitions are underway that suggest we may be entering another period of great transformation equal in significance to the agricultural revolution some 13,000 years ago or the Industrial Revolution 250 years ago. This book helps readers make sense of our global crisis and the dynamics of transition that could result in a shift from the industrial epoch that we live in now to a more sustainable and equitable age. The global renewable energy transition that is already underway holds the key to the wider just transition. However, the evolutionary potential of the present also manifests in the mushrooming of ecocultures, new urban visions, sustainability-oriented developmental states and new ways of learning and researching. Shedding light on the highly complex challenge of a sustainable and just transition, this book is essential reading for anyone concerned with establishing a more sustainable and equitable world. Ultimately, this is a book about hope but without easy answers.

Author : Niki Frantzeskaki
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 428 pages
File Size : 20,12 MB
Release : 2017-06-14
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 1351855956

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The world’s population is currently undergoing a significant transition towards urbanisation, with the UN expecting that 70% of people globally will live in cities by 2050. Urbanisation has multiple political, cultural, environmental and economic dimensions that profoundly influence social development and innovation. This fundamental long-term transformation will involve the realignment of urban society’s technologies and infrastructures, culture and lifestyles, as well as governance and institutional frameworks. Such structural systemic realignments can be referred to as urban sustainability transitions: fundamental and structural changes in urban systems through which persistent societal challenges are addressed, such as shifts towards urban farming, renewable decentralised energy systems, and social economies. This book provides new insights into how sustainability transitions unfold in different types of cities across the world and explores possible strategies for governing urban transitions, emphasising the co-evolution of material and institutional transformations in socio-technical and socio-ecological systems. With case studies of mega-cities such as Seoul, Tokyo, New York and Adelaide, medium-sized cities such as Copenhagen, Cape Town and Portland, and nonmetropolitan cities such as Freiburg, Ghent and Brighton, the book provides an opportunity to reflect upon the comparability and transferability of theoretical/conceptual constructs and governance approaches across geographical contexts. Urban Sustainability Transitions is key reading for students and scholars working in Environmental Sciences, Geography, Urban Studies, Urban Policy and Planning.