In Search of Green Knowledge:A Cognitive Approach to Sustainable Development

Andrew Jamison

Here’s where it startedHere’s where it started

...and here’s where I moved...and here’s where I moved

and this is what I think I have done ever since

Change oriented research, also known as, also known as

advocacy, or partisan researchadvocacy, or partisan research

technology assessment and/or cultural assessmenttechnology assessment and/or cultural assessment

action, or action-oriented research action, or action-oriented research

participatory, or dialogic researchparticipatory, or dialogic research

and, when it really has worked: collective learningand, when it really has worked: collective learning

Change-Oriented ResearchChange-Oriented Research

Problem-driven, rather then disciplinary drivenProblem-driven, rather then disciplinary driven

Intervention in ongoing processIntervention in ongoing process

Reflective, rather than explanatory ambitionReflective, rather than explanatory ambition

Narrative form of presentation, ”telling stories”Narrative form of presentation, ”telling stories”

Participatory, dialogue methods (e.g. focus groups)Participatory, dialogue methods (e.g. focus groups)

Engagement, or involvement in what is studiedEngagement, or involvement in what is studied

A Renewal of PhronesisA Renewal of Phronesis

Aristotle’s third form of knowledgeAristotle’s third form of knowledge

beyond theoretical (episteme) and practical (techne)beyond theoretical (episteme) and practical (techne)

a kind of ethical reason, or self-knowledgea kind of ethical reason, or self-knowledge

competence in making judgments, in knowing what to docompetence in making judgments, in knowing what to do

knowledge always situated or localizedknowledge always situated or localized

Roots in Pragmatism

American theory of knowledgeAmerican theory of knowledge

founded by Peirce, James, Deweyfounded by Peirce, James, Dewey

a part of the ”progressive” movement a part of the ”progressive” movement

truth based in practice (justification)truth based in practice (justification)

science as problem solving (discovery)science as problem solving (discovery)

and Action Research and Action Research

outgrowth of ”old” social movementsoutgrowth of ”old” social movements

related to urban reform and labor strugglesrelated to urban reform and labor struggles

neighborhood, or factory focus neighborhood, or factory focus

science as a form of social advocacyscience as a form of social advocacy

””making visible” and ”giving voice”making visible” and ”giving voice”

and Technology Assessmentand Technology Assessment

outgrowth of student revolts and nuclear energy debatesoutgrowth of student revolts and nuclear energy debates

focus on social and environmental consequences of focus on social and environmental consequences of technologytechnology

citizen-expert communication, or ”communicative citizen-expert communication, or ”communicative rationality” (Habermas)rationality” (Habermas)

consensus conference modelconsensus conference model

and Participatory Rural Appraisaland Participatory Rural Appraisal

a form of development researcha form of development research

focus on competence building focus on competence building

emphasis on popular participationemphasis on popular participation

””conscientization” (Friere)conscientization” (Friere)

””putting people first” (Chambers)putting people first” (Chambers)

A Cognitive Approach

Focus on knowledge in the making

Process, or practice orientation

Comparative, or contextual ambition

Dialectical method, identification of tensions

The Concept of Cognitive Praxis

connecting ideas and action, theory and practice

articulation of knowledge interests

movements as temporary collective learning sites

hybrid forms of agency: ”movement intellectuals”

Dimensions of cognitive praxis

The cosmological dimension: world-view assumptions, shared visions or values

The technological dimension: practical activities, forms of action and technical work

The organizational dimension: situational context, spaces of interaction and communication

The Cognitive Praxisof Environmental Movements

Cosmological dimension: systemic holism, ”limits to growth”

Technical dimension: appropriateness, ”small is beautiful”

Organizational dimension: collective learning sites, ”citizen science”

Phases of EnvironmentalismPhases of Environmentalism

1. awakening1. awakening primarily local protests against pollutionprimarily local protests against pollution pre-1968pre-1968

2. ”age of ecology”2. ”age of ecology” national organizational developmentnational organizational development 1969-19741969-1974

3. politicization3. politicization social movements in relation to energy policysocial movements in relation to energy policy 1975-19791975-1979

4. differentiation4. differentiation professionalization and party politicsprofessionalization and party politics 1980-19861980-1986

5. internationalization5. internationalization global orientation – network and alliance-buildingglobal orientation – network and alliance-building1987-19931987-1993

6. Integration6. Integration Agenda 21, sustainable developmentAgenda 21, sustainable development 1994-20001994-2000

Environmental Cognitive PraxisType of Environmentalism

CommunityLocal campaigns

Social ecology

ProfessionalMainstream organizations

Political ecology

MilitantRadical groups

Deep ecology

PersonalNew age artists

Green consumers

Knowledge forms

Factual

Lay

Legal

Expert

Rhetorical

Ideological

Spiritual

Citizen

Knowledge interest

Empowerment

Public participation

Enlightenment

Policy deliberation

Political protest

Resistance

Authenticity

Identity

Changing Regimes of Knowledge and Power

Industrial Military Commercial “Little Science” “Big Science” “Technoscience” Before WWII 1940s-1970s 1980s-

Type of Knowledge disciplinary multidisciplinary transdisciplinary

Organiza- individuals or R&D departments ad hoc projects andtional form research groups and institutes networks

Dominantvalues academic bureaucratic entrepreneurial

The Broader Context:The Broader Context:Living in An Age of TechnoscienceLiving in An Age of Technoscience

blurring discursive boundaries blurring discursive boundaries between science (episteme) and technology (techne)between science (episteme) and technology (techne)

breaking down institutional bordersbreaking down institutional borders between public and private, economic and academicbetween public and private, economic and academic

mixing skills and knowledge mixing skills and knowledge across disciplines and societal domainsacross disciplines and societal domains

From Science to TechnoscienceFrom Science to Technoscience

change in range and scope: a plurality of scienceschange in range and scope: a plurality of sciences

market orientation, global reachmarket orientation, global reach

university-industry collaborationuniversity-industry collaboration

the strategic state: foresight orthe strategic state: foresight or “picking the winners” “picking the winners”

Trandisciplinarity, or ”Mode 2”

”Knowledge which emerges from a particular context of application with its own distinct theoretical structures, research methods and modes of practice but which may not be locatable on the prevailing disciplinary map.”

Michael Gibbons et al, The New Production of Knowledge. Sage: 1994, p168

Cognitive Differences

Mode 1 Mode 2

cumulative discontinuous

unifiedpluralist

universal specific

cooperative competitive

objective constructive

paradigmatic situated

From Science to ResearchFrom Science to Research

from doing experiments to doing businessfrom doing experiments to doing business product-oriented, or commercial researchproduct-oriented, or commercial research

from providing expertise to governingfrom providing expertise to governing project-oriented, or governance researchproject-oriented, or governance research

from enlightening to empowering from enlightening to empowering problem-oriented, or advocacy researchproblem-oriented, or advocacy research

Contending DiscoursesContending Discourses

commercial research: hubris goes to marketcommercial research: hubris goes to market- globalization, competitiveness, innovation- globalization, competitiveness, innovation

governance research: controlling hubrisgovernance research: controlling hubris

- welfare, employment, equality, construction- welfare, employment, equality, construction

advocacy research: the hybrid imaginationadvocacy research: the hybrid imagination

global justice, scientific citizenship, sustainabilityglobal justice, scientific citizenship, sustainability

Contending InstitutionsContending Institutions

commercial researchcommercial research- innovation networks, patent systems, markets- innovation networks, patent systems, markets

governance researchgovernance research- state agencies, regulations, policies, laws - state agencies, regulations, policies, laws

advocacy researchadvocacy research- civic organizations, public education, assessment- civic organizations, public education, assessment

Contending IdentitiesContending Identities

commercial researchcommercial research

- - academic entrepeneurs, market researchersacademic entrepeneurs, market researchers

governance researchgovernance research- expert consultants, policy researchers- expert consultants, policy researchers

advocacy researchadvocacy research

- activist academics, action researchers- activist academics, action researchers

Environmental Science, ala Mode 1

Disciplinary identity:Disciplinary identity:

specialized subfields of biology and engineeringspecialized subfields of biology and engineering

Academic theories:Academic theories:mostly about non-human ”nature” mostly about non-human ”nature”

Administrative applications:Administrative applications:primarily related to state and municipal authoritiesprimarily related to state and municipal authorities

Environmental Science, ala Mode 2

hybrid competencies: mixing of skills, theories, and politics

concepts of connectivity: systems, organizations, networks, participation

processes of mediation: between experts and citizens, North and South

Cultural Forms of Green Knowledge

Residual Dominant Emerging

Key sites local/national global hybrid networks

Forms of action popular commercial exemplary resistance facilitation mobilization

Form of knowledge factual/lay managerial situated

Sources traditions, professional experience,

of knowledge disciplines expertise examples

The Hybrid ImaginationThe Hybrid Imagination

At the discursive levelAt the discursive level making connnections, integrating ideas making connnections, integrating ideas

At the institutional levelAt the institutional level creating contexts of mediation, hybrid forums creating contexts of mediation, hybrid forums

At the practical/personal levelAt the practical/personal level fostering hybrid competencies and identitiesfostering hybrid competencies and identities

Inter- or transdisciplinarity?Inter- or transdisciplinarity?

Interdisciplinarity TransdisciplinarityInterdisciplinarity Transdisciplinarity

integration of disciplines transcendence of disciplinesintegration of disciplines transcendence of disciplines

(internal) problem-driven (external) project-driven(internal) problem-driven (external) project-driven

””bottom-up”, self-organized ”top-down”, formalized bottom-up”, self-organized ”top-down”, formalized

a dialogical rationality an instrumental rationalitya dialogical rationality an instrumental rationality

Types of InterdisciplinarityTypes of Interdisciplinarity

CollaborationCollaboration synthetic integrationsynthetic integration a sharing of experience and identitya sharing of experience and identity

CooperationCooperation multidisciplinary teamworkmultidisciplinary teamwork a process of collective learninga process of collective learning

Types of TransdisciplinarityTypes of Transdisciplinarity

Nondisciplinarity, or niche-seekingNondisciplinarity, or niche-seeking a conceptual competence a conceptual competence theory, or technique-based identitytheory, or technique-based identity

Subdisciplinarity, or specializationSubdisciplinarity, or specialization a methodological competence a methodological competence topic, or area-based identitytopic, or area-based identity

For example: STSFor example: STS

Science, Technology and SocietyScience, Technology and Society interdisciplinary education and research interdisciplinary education and research bridging the ”two cultures” gapbridging the ”two cultures” gap

Science and Technology StudiesScience and Technology Studies transdisciplinary and heterogeneous field transdisciplinary and heterogeneous field related to growth of EU research programsrelated to growth of EU research programs

Science, Technology and Science, Technology and SocietySociety

CollaborationCollaboration finalization, science dynamics, SCOT finalization, science dynamics, SCOT technology assessment, science shopstechnology assessment, science shops

CooperationCooperation European Association for the Study of European Association for the Study of

Science and Technology (EASST)Science and Technology (EASST) educational exchanges and PhD networkseducational exchanges and PhD networks

Science and Technology StudiesScience and Technology Studies

Nondisciplinarity, or niche-seekingNondisciplinarity, or niche-seeking sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK)sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) actor-network theory, technology foresightactor-network theory, technology foresight

Subdisciplinarity, or sectorial specializationSubdisciplinarity, or sectorial specialization science and technology policyscience and technology policy innovation studies, knowledge managementinnovation studies, knowledge management

For example: Environmental StudiesFor example: Environmental Studies

Environmental Science(s)Environmental Science(s) interdisciplinary centers and departmentsinterdisciplinary centers and departments internally-driven and often academic-orientedinternally-driven and often academic-oriented

Environmental ManagementEnvironmental Management

””add-on” masters and doctoral programsadd-on” masters and doctoral programs externally-driven and often market-orientedexternally-driven and often market-oriented

Interdisciplinary Environmental Interdisciplinary Environmental SciencesSciences

CollaborationCollaboration human ecology, social ecologyhuman ecology, social ecology sustainability science, ecological economicssustainability science, ecological economics

CooperationCooperation IBP, IPCC and other international programsIBP, IPCC and other international programs environmental science departmentsenvironmental science departments

Transdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Environmental ManagementEnvironmental Management

NondisciplinarityNondisciplinarity Urban sustainable developmentUrban sustainable development Eco-efficiency, life cycle analysisEco-efficiency, life cycle analysis

SubdisciplinaritySubdisciplinarity Environmental chemistry, historyEnvironmental chemistry, history Energy planning, sociology of riskEnergy planning, sociology of risk

The Bauhaus... vs The MatrixThe Bauhaus... vs The Matrix"art and technology – a new unity”

The technification

of culture