The role of academic actors in social-ecological transformative processes: an analysis from a power perspective

Coupled social-ecological systems showing a non-sustainable trajectory might, nonetheless, shift to a more sustainable path. Such a change requires modifying both management practices and the governance arrangements ruling over them. This project seeks to inform a deep reflection about the various roles researchers play along these processes of change – from sparking them to co-governing as a part of new governance arrangements.  The study is informed by a literature review of cases of social-ecological change of small-scale fisheries and the exemplar case of Chile’s el loco fisheries transformation. The analytical tool is the morphogenetic approach, which involves a dynamic perspective of structural relations, culture and agency.

People: Rodrigo Martínez Peña, Kirill Orach, Per Olsson, Maja Schlüter

Methods: Literature review, in-depth case study

Funding: MISTRA/GRAID