Transformation Ioan Fazey Professor Social Dimensions of Environmental Change School of Environment Summary of the Transformation 2013 Conference in Oslo, with particular reference to presentations by K. O’Brien and F. Berkhout See: http://www.sv.uio.no/iss/english/research/news-andevents/events/conferences-and-seminars/transformations/livestream/streams-wednesday.html
Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience
What is it? • Marked change in nature or appearance, qualitative change • Altering of fundamental attributes of a system, powerful unleashing of human potential • A process for addressing hyper complex problems (Scharmer 2009) – Dynamic complexity (cause and effect are distant in space and time) – Social complexity (conflicting interests, cultures etc) – Emerging complexity (disruptive patterns of innovation and change in situations where the future cannot be predicted by patterns of the past)
Some dimensions Scale
Nature
Speed
Process
How much change? • Incremental vs Radical
Nature of the change? • Adjustment • Reform • Transformation
Bassett, T.J., Fogelman, C. (2013) Déjà vu or something new? The adaptation concept in the climate change literature. Geoforum 48, 42-53.
Spheres of influence
Can do this well, but often don’t System and structures Often conflicts; Collaborations important
Practical
Political
Personal O'Brien,K. and Sygna, L. (2013) Responding to climate change: The three spheres of transformation
Values, beliefs, worldviews, assumptions
“perhaps the most profound act of transformation facing humanity as it comes to live with climate change requires a cultural shift from seeing adaptation as managing the environment ‘out there’ to learning how to reorganize social and socioecological relationships, procedures and underlying values ‘in here’.” Pelling (2010: 88)
Speed of Change • Slow/Gradual • Fast/Abrupt
Prevalence
Process of transformation
Sharpe, B. (2013) Three horizons: Patterning of hope. Triarchy Press, Axminster, Devon, UK.
Summary
Transformation as: • Extensive, systemic change • Social process • Unintentional or intentional?