Exploring the role of boundary work in a social-ecological synthesis initiative

Schröter, BarbaraLund University,Lunds universitet,LUCSUS,Samhällsvetenskapliga institutioner och centrumbildningar,Samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten,LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies),Departments of Administrative, Economic and Social Sciences,Faculty of Social Sciences (author)

Inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in environmental studies faces the challenge of communicating across disciplines to reach a common understanding of scientific problems and solutions in a changing world. One way to address current pressing environmental challenges is to employ a boundary work approach that uses activities across borders of separated field of research. But how can this look like in practice? In this research brief, we self-evaluated the boundary work approach in a synthesis group on socio-ecological systems, based on an online survey with participants. Here, we discuss how boundary work can be used to integrate the knowledge from natural and social scientists both working on social-ecological systems. We found participants were selected to be acted as boundary spanners and were willing to cooperate for solving multidisciplinary issues regarding the understanding, management, and maintenance of ecosystem services. A social-ecological network analysis framework served as a boundary concept and object for communication and knowledge integration. Being familiar with a joint boundary concept like ecosystem services prior to the working group event supported the communication of participants. These results indicate that synthesis initiatives could strategically leverage boundary work through the careful selection of members, with the inclusion of boundary spanners, as well as prior joint identification of boundary concepts and objects.

Sattler, ClaudiaLeibniz-Zentrum fur Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF) e. V. (author)
Metzger, Jean PaulUniversity of São Paulo (author)
Rhodes, Jonathan R.University of Queensland (author)
Fortin, Marie-JoséeUniversity of Toronto (author)
Hohlenwerger, CamilaUniversity of São Paulo (author)
Carrasco, L. RománNational University of Singapore (author)
Bodin, Örjan,1969-Stockholm University,Stockholms universitet,Stockholm Resilience Centre(Swepub:su)rbodi (author)
LUCSUSSamhällsvetenskapliga institutioner och centrumbildningar (creator_code:org_t)

In:Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences: Springer Science and Business Media LLC13:2, s. 330-3432190-64832190-6491

By the author/editor: Schröter, Barbar ...; Sattler, Claudia; Metzger, Jean Pa ...; Rhodes, Jonathan ...; Fortin, Marie-Jo ...; Hohlenwerger, Ca ...; show more...; Carrasco, L. Rom ...; Bodin, Örjan, 19 ...; show less...

About the subject

SOCIAL SCIENCES: SOCIAL SCIENCES; and Other Social Sci ...; and Social Sciences ...

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Earth and Relate ...; and Environmental Sc ...

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