KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE FOR FOR

SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: DEVELOPMENT:

THE CHALLENGE OF THE CHALLENGE OF MULTIPLE EPISTEMOLOGIESMULTIPLE EPISTEMOLOGIES

Gilberto Gallopín and David Manuel-Navarrete

Symposium:Knowledge Systems for Sustainable Development: Mobilizing R&D for

Decision-makingAAAS Annual Meeting

15-19 February • San Francisco Science and Technology for Sustainable Well-Being

Scientific research about complex, Scientific research about complex, self-aware systems typical of SD self-aware systems typical of SD

often has to deal with a often has to deal with a compounding of complexity at compounding of complexity at

different levels: different levels:

•Physical reality, where the properties of self-organisation, irreducible uncertainty, emergence, etc. come into play•Different “epistemologies” (a plurality of perceptions or viewpoints that must be acknowledged and respected, even if not equally valid)•Different “intentionalities” (differing goals)

• integrating economic, social, cultural, political, and ecological dimensions

• simultaneous consideration of different scales

• broadening the space and time horizons to accommodate inter-generational plus intra-generational equity

• Taking into consideration different legitimate and irreducible perspectives

Sustainable Development Sustainable Development requires:requires:

SD POSES CHALLENGES (TO SD POSES CHALLENGES (TO SCIENCE) OF 2 KINDS:SCIENCE) OF 2 KINDS:

• Practice of Science• Epistemology of Science (methods and

criteria)

HERE, WE FOCUS ON ONE HERE, WE FOCUS ON ONE SET OF CHALLENGES OF SET OF CHALLENGES OF

THE 2THE 2NDND KIND (to methods KIND (to methods and criteria of science):and criteria of science):

• Utilizing usable and useful knowledge of different types, sources and scales

of managers

of managers

of technicians

of customers

of firms

of engineersof scientists

of policy makers

empirical

of patients

ethnic

traditional

indigenous

local

'Knowledges'

ChallengeChallenge

Lack of comprehensive framework regarding the multiplicity of local knowledges that could be used as inputs for scientific research

• When it is important to articulate/ combine/ integrate local/ traditional/ empirical/ indigenous/ lay knowledge and scientific knowledge regarding sustainable development? When it is not?

QuestionQuestion

All K includes 2 components:

• ‘Hard K’ that is or can be made explicit, is codifiable and can be formally expressed and transmitted to others through manuals, specifications, regulations, rules or procedures; is easily expressed, captured, stored and reused.

• ‘ Soft K’ including what people know but cannot be articulated, including tacit or implicit knowledge, internalized experience, skills, and cultural knowledge embedded in practices

ConsequenceConsequence

• Given this duality of all forms of knowledge, the articulation of useful knowledges for sustainable development should aim to include the participation of the holders of these knowledges, not just the recompilation of their explicit knowledges.

Articulating Articulating knowledgesknowledges

• Historically, science has developed a powerful narrative that delegitimated other descriptions of the world

• In contrast, S&T for SD is based on the postulate of an irreducible plurality of pertinent perspectives for a situation of enquiry

• Articulation has been easier (although often reduced to mere absorption) at the level of data or factual pieces of information, i.e. medicinal properties of native plants

• At the epistemic level of explanations, challenges to articulation have been more severe. Explanations are connected to prevailing theories and paradigms and therefore less likely to be accepted or integrated across knowledge systems

• The articulation of alternative worldviews is likely to be the most difficult.

CHALLENGE:CHALLENGE:

• Articulation requires criteria of truth and quality that are broader than those accepted today by most of the S&T community,

• yet not less solid and rigorous(or, relevance and credibility of S&T could be fatally

damaged).

• HOW TO AVOID: SCIENTIFIC IMPERIALISM

• WITHOUT FALLING INTO: EPISTEMOLOGICAL RELATIVISM

QuestionQuestion

QuestionQuestion

• How can the quality of local knowledge be assessed?

Example MEA: Traceability to source Repeatability and internal consistency Degree of confidence in the statement by the lay expert

• How to deal with irreducible conflict between scientific and lay knowledge?

QuestionQuestion

Proposition (supported by Proposition (supported by cases)cases)

the incorporation, articulation, “hybridization”, combination, or taking into account of, forms of knowledge with, or in addition to, scientific knowledge within the process of scientific research into socio-ecological systems results in better* characterization of the problem/issue and thus in better solutions. Thus, KS and research institutions that combine understanding from multiple sources are more effective for fostering a SD transition than those that do not

* Better even according to the standard scientific criteria

• All Challenges and Questions identified above point to legitimate, useful, and interesting, scientific research questions and priorities for Sustainability Science

Research Priorities Research Priorities