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Transformation in a changing climate : a research agenda

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Date
2018
Author
Fazey, Ioan
Moug, Peter
Allen, Simon
Beckmann, Kate
Blackwood, David
Bonaventura, Mike
Burnett, Kathryn
Danson, Mike
Falconer, Ruth
Gagnon, Alexandre S
Harkness, Rachel
Hodgson, Anthony
Holm, Lorens
Irvine, Katherine N.
Low, Ragne
Lyon, Christopher
Moss, Anna
Moran, Clare
Naylor, Larissa
O'Brien, Karen
Russell, Shona
Skerratt, Sarah
Rao-Williams, Jennifer
Wolstenholme, Ruth
Keywords
Adaptation
Sustainable development
Social transformation
Transformative adaptation
GE Environmental Sciences
H Social Sciences
T-NDAS
BDC
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Abstract
The concept of transformation in relation to climate and other global change is increasingly receiving attention. The concept provides important opportunities to help examine how rapid and fundamental change to address contemporary global challenges can be facilitated. This paper contributes to discussions about transformation by providing a social science, arts and humanities perspective to open up discussion and set out a research agenda about what it means to transform and the dimensions, limitations and possibilities for transformation. Key focal areas include: (1) change theories, (2) knowing whether transformation has occurred or is occurring; (3) knowledge production and use; (4), governance; (5) how dimensions of social justice inform transformation; (6) the limits of human nature; (7) the role of the utopian impulse; (8) working with the present to create new futures; and (9) human consciousness. In addition to presenting a set of research questions around these themes the paper highlights that much deeper engagement with complex social processes is required; that there are vast opportunities for social science, humanities and the arts to engage more directly with the climate challenge; that there is a need for a massive upscaling of efforts to understand and shape desired forms of change; and that, in addition to helping answer important questions about how to facilitate change, a key role of the social sciences, humanities and the arts in addressing climate change is to critique current societal patterns and to open up new thinking. Through such critique and by being more explicit about what is meant by transformation, greater opportunities will be provided for opening up a dialogue about change, possible futures and about what it means to re-shape the way in which people live.
Citation
Fazey , I , Moug , P , Allen , S , Beckmann , K , Blackwood , D , Bonaventura , M , Burnett , K , Danson , M , Falconer , R , Gagnon , A S , Harkness , R , Hodgson , A , Holm , L , Irvine , K N , Low , R , Lyon , C , Moss , A , Moran , C , Naylor , L , O'Brien , K , Russell , S , Skerratt , S , Rao-Williams , J & Wolstenholme , R 2018 , ' Transformation in a changing climate : a research agenda ' , Climate and Development , vol. 10 , no. 3 , pp. 197-217 . https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2017.1301864
Publication
Climate and Development
Status
Peer reviewed
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2017.1301864
ISSN
1756-5529
Type
Journal article
Rights
© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This work is made available online in accordance with publisher's policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2017.1301864
Description
This work was funded by the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society with assistance from the Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience at the University of Dundee. Katherine N Irvine’s involvement was supported by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) and ClimateXChange – Scotland’s Centre for Expertise on Climate Change.
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  • University of St Andrews Research
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/13100

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