Towards inclusivity in ecosystem governance : The epistemic dimension of human-nature connections and its implications for sustainability science

Achieving just transformations towards sustainability requires the inclusion of diverse people and perspectives into ecosystem governance. Inclusivity can be approached through the concept of plurality, necessitating the development of techniques for eliciting and managing the different epistemic (knowledge related) understandings of human-nature connections and allowing for contestations of views. Collaborative modes of knowledge production are increasingly used to navigate complex interactions between science, society and policy to create actionable knowledges. They can provide gateways into further understanding plurality in ecosystem governance. However, despite the proliferation of these approaches, there is currently little evidence about how to recognise and deal with the plurality of diverse knowledges and associated power structures held at different scales of ecosystem governance and knowledge production. This thesis approaches the question of inclusivity in sustainability science by introducing the epistemic dimension of human-nature connections and studying it in different contexts and at scales including local and transnational ecosystem governance and international science-policy interfaces. The thesis consists of four scientific articles which employ qualitative and quantitative methods in a mixed method research design. Paper I reviews five key concepts used in collaborative transdisciplinary research and proposes an integrative model that can help researchers and research participants to align their epistemic and conceptual views in transdisciplinary collaborations. Using online survey research techniques, Paper II examines the epistemic worldviews of experts involved in the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Values Assessment and how they shape definitions of the multiple values of nature. Using semi-structured interviews and participant observation, Paper III explores the intersections between perceptions of local knowledges, place belonging and agency in the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage Site in Sweden and Finland and highlights the plurality of positions stemming from diverse knowledge-place connections. Drawing on the results of online surveys sent to residents of the area, Paper IV develops and validates a psychometric scale of epistemic bonding (connections to a place through one’s knowledge of/in a locale), and then examines the relationships between epistemic bonding, place attachment and ecosystem management preferences across the countries. Together, these four papers demonstrate that epistemic issues pervade at different scales of ecosystem governance and knowledge production, and that they need to be accounted for processes aiming at sustainability transformations. In recognising the epistemic dimension of human-nature connections through operationalising reflexivity, the focus on place-based connections and practicing epistemically attuned sustainability science can support inclusivity in ecosystem governance by facilitating the recognition and navigation of such a plurality of the views.Oikeudenmukaisten kestävyysmuutosten tavoittelu edellyttää erilaisten ihmisten ja näkökulmien sisällyttämistä ekosysteemien hallintoon sopivien ratkaisujen löytämiseksi ja oikeutettujen päätösten tekemiseksi. Osallistamista voidaan lähestyä moninaisuuden käsitteen kautta, joka korostaa tilan antamisen tarvetta erilaisille episteemisille (tietoon liittyville) ymmärryksille ja erimielisyyksille. Yhteistoiminnallisia tiedontuotannon muotoja käytetään yhä enemmän keinoina navigoida näkemyksiä monimutkaisilla tieteen, yhteiskunnan ja politiikan rajapinnoilla, sekä keinoina luoda käyttökelpoista, toimivaa tietoa. Ne voivat auttaa ymmärtämään tiedon moninaisuutta ekosysteemien hallinnossa. Huolimatta näiden lähestymistapojen suuresta suosiosta, kestävyystieteessä on vain vähän näyttöä siitä, kuinka moninaisuutta voi tunnistaa ja käsitellä näissä prosesseissa tavalla, joka haastaa hallitsevia valtarakenteita eri tiedon tuotannon tasoilla. Tämä väitöskirja keskittyy eri näkökulmien sisällyttämiseen kestävyystieteeseen tuomalla esiin ihmisen ja luonnon välisen episteemisen ulottuvuuden, ja tutkimalla sitä paikkaperusteisessa ekosysteemihallinnossa ja tieteen ja politiikan rajapinnoissa. Väitöskirja koostuu neljästä tieteellisestä artikkelista, jotka käyttävät laadullisia ja määrällisiä tutkimusmenetelmiä. Artikkeli I esittelee kirjallisuuskatsauksen viidestä poikkitieteellisessä tutkimuksessa käytetystä tiedon yhteisluomiskäsitteestä. Artikkeli ehdottaa mallia, joka integroi nämä käsitteet, ja joka voi auttaa tutkijoita ja tutkimukseen osallistuvia yhdistämään episteemisiä ja käsitteellisiä näkemyksiään poikkitieteellisissä tutkimusprosesseissa. Artikkeli II perustuu kyselyyn ja tutkii hallitustenvälisen, biodiversiteettiä ja ekosysteemipalveluita koskevan tieteen ja politiikan välisen IPBES-paneelin asiantuntijoiden episteemisiä maailmankatsomuksia, ja sitä, kuinka ne muokkaavat miten he määrittelevät luonnon monet arvot. Artikkeli III perehtyy paikkalähtöisen tiedon, paikkaan kuulumisen ja toimijuuden käsitteiden risteyskohtiin Korkearannikon ja Merenkurkunsaariston maailmanperintökohteessa Ruotsissa ja Suomessa tehtyjen laadullisten haastattelujen ja osallistuvan havainnoinnin avulla. Artikkeli esittelee erilaisista tieto-paikka-yhteyksistä johtuvia näkemyksiä alueen hallintoa kohtaan. Pohjautuen alueen asukkaille lähetettyyn kyselyyn Artikkeli IV luo ja validoi psykometrisen asteikon, jolla voi mitata yksilön yhteyttä paikkaan oman paikallistuntemuksen kautta. Artikkeli vertaa episteemistä sitoutumista aikaisemmin määriteltyihin paikkakiintymyksen ulottuvuuksiin sekä ekosysteemien hoitoa koskeviin näkemyksiin eri maissa. Yhdessä nämä neljä artikkelia osoittavat, että episteemiset ongelmat vaikuttavat kestävyystieteelliseen tutkimukseen ja ekosysteemien hallintoon eri tasoilla ja ne on selkeästi huomioitava kestävyysmuutoksiin tähtäävissä prosesseissa, jotta ne olisivat oikeudenmukaisia. Ihmis-luonto-yhteyksien episteemisen ulottuvuuden tunnistaminen, refleksiivisyyden soveltaminen ja paikkaperusteisten yhteyksien tutkiminen voi tukea moninaisuutta ekosysteemien hallinnossa ja helpottaa erilaisten näkemysten sisällyttämistä päätöksentekoon

Painting Outside the Lines: Transgressing the Managerial University, Avoiding Forced Creativity

This chapter aims to put creative methods into the context of wider trends in university institutions. As managerialism—here understood as the application of corporate values and practices into all sectors of society—continues to play a large role in the production and creation of knowledge, we argue that creative methods have the potential to either subvert or reinforce these trends. We see the entrenchment of managerialism as contradictory to the stated aims of the application of creative methods in knowledge production. In an attempt to avoid this, we provide a picture and discuss the institutional framework in which creative methods are deployed to understand and critique the values and practices of managerialism in academia. We point towards the constraints it places on those who wish to take a creative approach. First, we provide an historical accounting of how managerial values have contributed to de-politicization in the wider public sphere, with a particular focus on academia. Second, we outline the fundamental properties of the managerial university, summarized as: (i) accountability, (ii) competition, and (iii) obedience. Third, we sketch out a definition of forced creativity and illustrate two applied cases of how it might look in practice: “artwashing” and “funding tricks”. This section is meant to contribute to defining “truly” creative methods by spelling out what they are not. Finally, we summarize our main points and provide future directions of discussion.Peer reviewe

Place-embedded agency: Exploring knowledge–place connections for enabling plurality in governance of social–ecological systems

Including different forms of knowledges and views in decision-making is crucial to managing the complexity of social–ecological systems (SES) in ways that are inclusive and embrace diversity. Sense of place scholarship can explain subjectivity in SES; however, it has hardly been considered together with the literature on knowledge processes, overlooking the epistemic dimension of sense of place and its potential to shed light on the roles and views of individuals in respect to natural resources and their management. This paper explores how local knowledge and place-belonging (as a form of sense of place) intersect, and what kinds of implications these knowledge–place connections have for the interactions between actors and their agency in the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage Site (Sweden/Finland). Drawing on participant observation in workshops and semi-structured interviews with diverse actors in this transboundary governance context, we identify five types of knowledge–place connections, which exemplify diverse positions on local knowledge shaped by place-belonging. We propose a concept of place-embedded agency to reveal how these positions shape action and interaction between people inside and outside formal decision-making processes. We argue that recognising and taking place-embedded agency into account can help to overcome tensions and enhance plurality in SES governance.1. Including different forms of knowledges and views in decision-making is crucial to managing the complexity of social-ecological systems (SES) in ways that are inclusive and embrace diversity. 2. Sense of place scholarship can explain subjectivity in SES; however, it has hardly been considered together with the literature on knowledge processes, overlooking the epistemic dimension of sense of place and its potential to shed light on the roles and views of individuals in respect to natural resources and their management. 3. This paper explores how local knowledge and place-belonging (as a form of sense of place) intersect, and what kinds of implications these knowledge-place connections have for the interactions between actors and their agency in the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage Site (Sweden/Finland). 4. Drawing on participant observation in workshops and semi-structured interviews with diverse actors in this transboundary governance context, we identify five types of knowledge-place connections, which exemplify diverse positions on local knowledge shaped by place-belonging. 5. We propose a concept of place-embedded agency to reveal how these positions shape action and interaction between people inside and outside formal decision-making processes. We argue that recognising and taking place-embedded agency into account can help to overcome tensions and enhance plurality in SES governance.Peer reviewe

Immediate political actions need to be prioritised in the sustainability crises

The current political actions towards sustainability are insufficient and not in line with the urgency of the intertwined climate crisis and biodiversity loss. Instead of far-reaching future objectives, which shift the responsibility away from the current decision-makers, actions need to be implemented right now. We immediately need to: - Shift away from economic values and business-as-usual practices - Prioritize multi-stakeholder inclusion in decision-making and policies - Define terms and clarify the objectives within legal and political systems - Prevent lobbying of polluting companies - Regulate overconsumption and improve citizens’ education - Improve the independence of environmental agencies - Reinforce inspection authorities in charge of monitoring and enforcing regulationsNon peer reviewe

Transdisciplinary research in natural resources management : Towards an integrative and transformative use of co-concepts

Transdisciplinary research often utilizes collaborative ways of knowledge production to enable deliberate transformations towards sustainability. Multiple concepts with varying definitions are applied, leading to confusion in the aims and uses of these concepts. In this article, we review five concepts relevant to the current debate on the new collaborative ways of knowledge production in transdisciplinary research. We focus on the concepts of co-creation, co-production, co-design, co-learning, and adaptive co-management in the context of natural resources management (NRM). This study couples a literature review and a conceptual analysis, and aims to clarify definitions, use, the interlinkages of these concepts and to shed light on their intertwined nature. We propose an integrative understanding of the concepts to facilitate collaborative modes and to enable the transformative aims of research processes. To this end, we discuss how to harvest the transformative potential of the "co-concepts" by focusing on reflexivity, power analysis and process orientation.Peer reviewe

Grounding IPBES experts’ views on the multiple values of nature in epistemology, knowledge and collaborative science

This study identifies and analyses the underlying assumptions of experts involved in the first author meeting (FAM) of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)’s Values Assessment, and how they shape understandings of the multiple values of nature. We draw from survey data collected from 94 experts attending the FAM. Respondents self-report the tendencies and aims they bring to the assessment (i.e. motivation), the type and amount of evidence they require for knowledge to be valid (i.e. confirmation) and their epistemic worldviews (i.e. objectivity). Four clusters emerged that correspond to Pragmatist, Post-Positivist, Constructivist and Transformative epistemic worldviews. This result clarifies how different knowledge claims are represented in science-policy processes. Despite the proportionately higher number of social scientists in the Values Assessment, compared with previous IPBES assessments, we still found that fewer experts have Constructivist or Transformative worldviews than Pragmatist or Post-Positivist outlooks, an imbalance that may influence the types of values and valuation perspectives emphasised in the assessment. We also detected a tension regarding what constitutes valid knowledge between Post-Positivists, who emphasised high levels of agreement, and Pragmatists and Constructivists, who did not necessarily consider agreement crucial. Conversely, Post-Positivists did not align with relational values and were more diverse in their views regarding definitions of multiple values of nature compared to other clusters. Pragmatists emphasized relational values, while Constructivists tended to consider all value types (including relational values) as important. We discuss the implications of our findings for future design and delivery of IPBES processes and interdisciplinary research.This study identifies and analyses the underlying assumptions of experts involved in the first author meeting (FAM) of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)'s Values Assessment, and how they shape understandings of the multiple values of nature. We draw from survey data collected from 94 experts attending the FAM. Respondents self-report the tendencies and aims they bring to the assessment (i.e. motivation), the type and amount of evidence they require for knowledge to be valid (i.e. confirmation) and their epistemic worldviews (i.e. objectivity). Four clusters emerged that correspond to Pragmatist, Post-Positivist, Constructivist and Transformative epistemic worldviews. This result clarifies how different knowledge claims are represented in science-policy processes. Despite the proportionately higher number of social scientists in the Values Assessment, compared with previous IPBES assessments, we still found that fewer experts have Constructivist or Transformative worldviews than Pragmatist or Post-Positivist outlooks, an imbalance that may influence the types of values and valuation perspectives emphasised in the assessment. We also detected a tension regarding what constitutes valid knowledge between Post-Positivists, who emphasised high levels of agreement, and Pragmatists and Constructivists, who did not necessarily consider agreement crucial. Conversely, Post-Positivists did not align with relational values and were more diverse in their views regarding definitions of multiple values of nature compared to other clusters. Pragmatists emphasized relational values, while Constructivists tended to consider all value types (including relational values) as important. We discuss the implications of our findings for future design and delivery of IPBES processes and interdisciplinary research.Peer reviewe

Transdisciplinary research in natural resources management: Towards an integrative and transformative use of co-concepts

Transdisciplinary research often utilizes collaborative ways of knowledge production to enable deliberate transformations towards sustainability. Multiple concepts with varying definitions are applied, leading to confusion in the aims and uses of these concepts. In this article, we review five concepts relevant to the current debate on the new collaborative ways of knowledge production in transdisciplinary research. We focus on the concepts of co-creation, co-production, co-design, co-learning, and adaptive co-management in the context of natural resources management (NRM). This study couples a literature review and a conceptual analysis, and aims to clarify definitions, use, the interlinkages of these concepts and to shed light on their intertwined nature. We propose an integrative understanding of the concepts to facilitate collaborative modes and to enable the transformative aims of research processes. To this end, we discuss how to harvest the transformative potential of the "co-concepts" by focusing on reflexivity, power analysis and process orientation

On the other end of research : Two cases of knowledge exchange in small-scale fisheries in Zanzibar, Tanzania

Sustainability science has recently adopted a more action-oriented approach in addition to purely increasing knowledge. It is argued that mobilising more and better knowledge is needed for sustaining human wellbeing and promoting sustainable development. There is an increasing recognition of knowledge exchange (KE) as a key factor to enhance social, environmental and economic impacts of research. KE in the context of marine resource management has mostly been studied in relation to the science-policy interface in the Global North. To expand understanding of science-society interactions within sustainability science, this thesis adopts an explorative approach and studies two cases of KE between external researchers and local stakeholders in small-scale fisheries in Zanzibar, Tanzania, with a particular focus on community-level encounters. First, the context of these encounters is explored through flows of benefits and patterns of interactions between researchers and local stakeholders. Second, experiences of actors engaged in KE are studied. The thesis concludes that as KE is a complex and dynamic process, i) history and relationships between actors shape the outcomes of KE, ii) knowledge-based outcomes of KE are complex and unpredictable as different actors create their own meaning from shared information, and iii) KE includes other than knowledge-based outcomes as multiple incentives of different actors shape KE and how it is experienced

On the other end of research: exploring community-level knowledge exchanges in small-scale fisheries in Zanzibar

Peer reviewe

'Being' and 'doing' : interconnections between researcher identity and conceptualizations of sustainability research

Sustainability research is characterized by a plurality of interests, actors, and research traditions. Sustainability is a widely used concept across multiple disciplines and often a cross-cutting theme in different research projects. However, there is a limited understanding of how researchers from multiple disciplinary backgrounds approach sustainability and position themselves in sustainability research as a part of their researcher identity. Previous studies among sustainability science experts have indicated diverse approaches and definitions of the socio-political, epistemic and normative dimensions of sustainability. In this study, we use semi-structured interviews with researchers (N = 7) and a survey distributed to two academic institutes in Finland (N = 376) to examine how researchers relate to sustainability research through the notions of identity as 'being' and 'doing' and how the differing ways to relate to sustainability research shape preferred definitions and approaches. The examination of perspectives among researchers enables the identification of diverse views related to sustainability and, consequently, sheds light on what kinds of ideas of sustainability get presented in the research. We conclude that understanding different identities is crucial for negotiating and implementing sustainability and developing sustainability research, requiring more attention to researchers' positionality and reflexivity.Peer reviewe