IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v30y2022i2p358-374.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Knowledge integration in transdisciplinary sustainability science: Tools from applied critical realism

Author

Listed:
  • Jessica Cockburn

Abstract

Transdisciplinarity, which seeks to transcend the limits of existing disciplines and the boundaries between science and society, has become a hallmark of sustainability science. Since transdisciplinarity requires researchers to co‐produce knowledge by drawing together diverse knowledge systems, knowledge integration becomes a key challenge. However, the practice of knowledge integration brings to the fore tensions around philosophy, methodology and the role of the researcher. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the value of applied critical realism in enabling knowledge integration in transdisciplinary research, and in engaging these important tensions. I introduce tools from applied critical realism to enable knowledge integration across disciplinary and science‐society boundaries in sustainability science. Using an illustrative case of place‐based social‐ecological research from South Africa, I demonstrate the application of these tools. I conclude with a reflection on how they enable reflection on tensions related to philosophy, methodology and researcher positionality, identifying some of the challenges I experienced in putting these tools to work.

Suggested Citation

  • Jessica Cockburn, 2022. "Knowledge integration in transdisciplinary sustainability science: Tools from applied critical realism," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 358-374, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:30:y:2022:i:2:p:358-374
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.2279
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2279
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.2279?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rika Preiser, 2019. "Identifying general trends and patterns in complex systems research: An overview of theoretical and practical implications," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(5), pages 706-714, September.
    2. Jahn, Thomas & Bergmann, Matthias & Keil, Florian, 2012. "Transdisciplinarity: Between mainstreaming and marginalization," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-10.
    3. Karpouzoglou, Timothy & Dewulf, Art & Clark, Julian, 2016. "Advancing adaptive governance of social-ecological systems through theoretical multiplicity," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-9.
    4. Gibson, Clark C. & Ostrom, Elinor & Ahn, T. K., 2000. "The concept of scale and the human dimensions of global change: a survey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 217-239, February.
    5. Benjamin Nölting & Carsten Mann, 2018. "Governance strategy for sustainable land management and water reuse: Challenges for transdisciplinary research," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(6), pages 691-700, November.
    6. Dryzek, John S., 2016. "Institutions for the Anthropocene: Governance in a Changing Earth System," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(4), pages 937-956, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Heleen Dreyer & Nadine Sonnenberg & Daleen Van der Merwe, 2022. "Transcending Linearity in Understanding Green Consumer Behaviour: A Social–Cognitive Framework for Behaviour Changes in an Emerging Economy Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-27, November.
    2. Scholz, Roland W. & Zscheischler, Jana & Köckler, Heike & Czichos, Reiner & Hofmann, Klaus-Markus & Sindermann, Cornelia, 2024. "Transdisciplinary knowledge integration – PART I: Theoretical foundations and an organizational structure," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    3. Jasmina Saric & Thomas Breu & Gilbert Fokou & Salome‐Joëlle Gass & Boniface Kiteme & Honorati Masanja & Jürg Utzinger & Gete Zeleke & Fabian Käser, 2023. "Research−implementation organisations and their role for sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(3), pages 1401-1416, June.
    4. Julia M. Wittmayer & Ying-Syuan (Elaine) Huang & Kristina Bogner & Evan Boyle & Katharina Hölscher & Timo Wirth & Tessa Boumans & Jilde Garst & Yogi Hale Hendlin & Mariangela Lavanga & Derk Loorbach &, 2024. "Neither right nor wrong? Ethics of collaboration in transformative research for sustainable futures," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Maryam Nastar, 2023. "A Critical Realist Approach to Reflexivity in Sustainability Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cameron Allen & Shirin Malekpour & Michael Mintrom, 2023. "Cross‐scale, cross‐level and multi‐actor governance of transformations toward the Sustainable Development Goals: A review of common challenges and solutions," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(3), pages 1250-1267, June.
    2. Jessica Cockburn & Georgina Cundill & Sheona Shackleton & Mathieu Rouget, 2018. "Towards Place-Based Research to Support Social–Ecological Stewardship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-21, May.
    3. Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf & Burton St. John & Pragati Rawat & Michelle Covi & Janet Gail Nicula & Carol Considine, 2019. "The Action-oriented Stakeholder Engagement for a Resilient Tomorrow (ASERT) framework: an effective, field-tested approach for engaging stakeholders," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 9(4), pages 409-418, December.
    4. Robert Costanza & Shuang Liu, 2014. "Ecosystem Services and Environmental Governance: Comparing China and the U.S," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 1(1), pages 160-170, January.
    5. Stefan Liehr & Julia Röhrig & Marion Mehring & Thomas Kluge, 2017. "How the Social-Ecological Systems Concept Can Guide Transdisciplinary Research and Implementation: Addressing Water Challenges in Central Northern Namibia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-19, June.
    6. Grillitsch, Markus & Asheim, Björn & Fünfschilling, Lea & Kelmenson, Sophie & Lowe, Nichola & Lundquist, Karl Johan & Mahmoud, Yahia & Martynovich, Mikhail & Mattson, Pauline & Miörner, Johan & Nilsso, 2023. "Rescaling: An Analytical Lense to Study Economic and Industrial Shifts," Papers in Innovation Studies 2023/11, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    7. Shiji Chen & Clément Arsenault & Yves Gingras & Vincent Larivière, 2015. "Exploring the interdisciplinary evolution of a discipline: the case of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(2), pages 1307-1323, February.
    8. Merrie, Andrew & Olsson, Per, 2014. "An innovation and agency perspective on the emergence and spread of Marine Spatial Planning," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 366-374.
    9. Steven M Manson, 2007. "Challenges in Evaluating Models of Geographic Complexity," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 34(2), pages 245-260, April.
    10. Nicolás Ruiz, Néstor & Suárez Alonso, María Luisa & Vidal-Abarca, María Rosario, 2021. "Contributions of dry rivers to human well-being: A global review for future research," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    11. Ranger, S. & Kenter, J.O. & Bryce, R. & Cumming, G. & Dapling, T. & Lawes, E. & Richardson, P.B., 2016. "Forming shared values in conservation management: An interpretive-deliberative-democratic approach to including community voices," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(PB), pages 344-357.
    12. Juerges, Nataly & Jahn, Stephanie, 2020. "German forest management stakeholders at the science-society interface: Their views on problem definition, knowledge production and research utilization," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    13. Eastwood, C.R. & Turner, F.J. & Romera, A.J., 2022. "Farmer-centred design: An affordances-based framework for identifying processes that facilitate farmers as co-designers in addressing complex agricultural challenges," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    14. Arora-Jonsson, Seema, 2016. "Does resilience have a culture? Ecocultures and the politics of knowledge production," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 98-107.
    15. Yaprak Kurtsal & Davide Viaggi, 2020. "Exploring Collaboration and Consumer Behavior in Food Community Networks and Constraints Preventing Active Participation: The Case of Turkey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-24, April.
    16. Reshma Shrestha & Jaap Zevenbergen & Fahria Masum & Mahesh Banskota, 2018. "“Action Space” Based Urban Land Governance Pattern: Implication in Managing Informal Settlements from the Perspective of Low-Income Housing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-19, June.
    17. Domínguez-Gómez, J. Andrés & González-Gómez, Teresa, 2017. "Analysing stakeholders’ perceptions of golf-course-based tourism: A proposal for developing sustainable tourism projects," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 135-143.
    18. Yoder, Landon & Roy Chowdhury, Rinku, 2018. "Tracing social capital: How stakeholder group interactions shape agricultural water quality restoration in the Florida Everglades," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 354-361.
    19. Vermaat, Jan E. & Eppink, Florian & van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M. & Barendregt, Aat & van Belle, Jasper, 2005. "Aggregation and the matching of scales in spatial economics and landscape ecology: empirical evidence and prospects for integration," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 229-237, January.
    20. Weinmann, Bernd & Sheridan, Patrick & Schroers, Jan Ole & Kuhlmann, Friedrich, 2005. "Modelling the CAP Reform at the Regional Level with ProLand," 2005 International Congress, August 23-27, 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark 24508, European Association of Agricultural Economists.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:30:y:2022:i:2:p:358-374. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.