Epistemic Mobilities: Following Sea-Level Change Adaptation Practices in Southeast Asian Cities

Abstract

A rich corpus of literature exists on traveling knowledges, their carriers, and connectivities. Yet there is less emphasis on how trajectories of mobility themselves, and the knowledges that circulate coevolve in the process of travel. In this article, we propose “epistemic mobilities” as a conceptual lens with which to empirically trace the transfer and translation of knowledges and practices as they come to be embedded in existing and new social realities. We draw inspiration from technological and policy interventions for living with sea-level change across two cases studies on Jakarta and Manila, and ask how these policies and practices constantly morph when being translated into specific sociopolitical and ecological contexts. We argue that the translocal transforming of adaptation practices and policies, within their contexts of arrival and negotiation, are key to conceptualizing “epistemic mobilities” via local systems and processes of socioinstitutional change.

Resolving impasses in policy translation: Shall we adjust the idea or the process?

“…the influence that actors have) compared to the institutional structure in which transfer takes place. However, the translation process takes place in a certain context of institutional and historical path dependencies and political debates (Hornidge et al, 2020). The Dutch government is exercising soft power by financing planning projects to introduce Dutch expertise in order to increase the market share of the Dutch water sector internationally (Minkman et al, 2019).…”

“…In several potential causes for stagnation were introduced and I argued that an equal number of possible exit-strategies exists, which prevents actors from reaching strategic alignment. Policy translation was conceptualised as a process of modifying content through a process of sensemaking, which is understood here as a process in which actors construct meaning in an attempt to understand the transfer object (see also Hornidge et al, 2020). Actors internalize transferred ideas and, based on previous experiences, develop a personal interpretation of the content and meaning of this knowledge.…”

“…Thompson, 2018). Previous studies with a policy transfer or mobility perspective noted how the policy formulation process has been stalled since 2015 (Colven, 2020), has apparently not moved in any direction in the years after but nonetheless remained on the agenda (Colven, 2017(Colven, , 2020Hornidge et al, 2020;Minkman et al, 2019). These studies are valuable but limited to explaining the causes of stagnation.…”

Making the UN Ocean Decade work? The potential for, and challenges of, transdisciplinary research and real‐world laboratories for building towards ocean solutions

“…While certain marine system knowledge is acquired, neither jointly negotiated target knowledge (where to go), nor transformation knowledge (how to reach the new stage) exists to a sufficient degree (Pohl & Hirsch Hadorn, 2007;Wittmer et al, 2021). Moreover, transregional learning from each other's 'solutions'-to assure 'local fit' and applicability-needs to be further understood and fostered (Hornidge et al, 2020;Krause et al, 2022).…”

Making the UN Ocean Decade work? The potential for, and challenges of, transdisciplinary research & real-world laboratories for building towards ocean solutions

“…Whilst certain marine system knowledge is now acquired and interdisciplinary scientific cooperation established and we are aware of governance challenges -neither jointly negotiated target knowledge (where to go), nor transformation knowledge (how to reach the new stage) exists to a sufficient degree (Pohl & Hirsch Hadorn, 2007). Moreover, transregional learning from each other's 'solutions' -while each time embedding them into local context to assure 'local fit' and applicability -needs to be further understood and structurally fostered (Hornidge et al, 2020).…”