Governing through community: Transformative geographies from the bottom up

Schmid, Benedikt; Smith, Thomas S.J.; Aiken, Gerald Taylor

doi:10.1002/eet.1928

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…At the same time, a rich variety of sustainability‐oriented community initiatives demonstrate the broad spectrum of alternative pathways available (Fischer et al, 2017). In this context, transition and transformation researchers pay increasing attention to bottom‐up dynamics of societal change – looking for models and dynamics that point towards (more) sustainable and just social‐ecological relations (Schmid et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A critical view on the role of scale and instrumental imaginaries within community sustainability transitions research

Schmid

Aiken

2023

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Research has recently focused on various under‐the‐radar sustainability‐oriented community initiatives to understand and support bottom‐up dynamics of social‐ecological change. While community initiatives vary widely, research on them tends towards an instrumental perspective: a will‐to‐upscale. While exploring possibilities for expanding (some of) the practices and impacts of sustainability‐oriented projects and organizations, we argue for a more cautious approach to instrumentalising community initiatives. We develop our argument around four recurring issues we identify in the literature: (1) conceptual imprecisions; (2) privileging of novelties; (3) politics of urgency; and (4) outwards orientation. In response to these critiques, and leaning on geographical theories of scale, we outline our caution. At its core, this approach is a ‘literacy of scaling’ where scaling functions as a tactic subordinate to the community.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A critical view on the role of scale and instrumental imaginaries within community sustainability transitions research

Schmid

Aiken

2023

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“…In community theories, books such as Ghandi's Affective communities (Ghandi, 2006) stand out because they not only decentre accounts of countercultural/counterhegemonic community from the West, but also from the present day, taking lead from historical examples of how a sense of forged collective subjectivity can drive forward alternative pathways and stories. As argued in a recent special edition on Transformative Community (Schmid et al, 2021), paying attention to the longue durée, historical context and trajectory is always important, but particularly when it comes to in situ communities, where the ‘memory’ of the place plays a particular role. This fills a key gap in the literature on managed retreat, by placing managed retreat within historical context, and gives insights into the effectiveness, reception and how just future managed retreat can be (sitting alongside contemporary focused reviews such as Siders et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Where next for managed retreat: Bringing in history, community and under‐researched places

Aiken

Mabon

2023

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Managed retreat—the purposive and coordinated movement of people away from climate risks—has risen in importance, discussion and urgency in recent years. As climate threats increase in size and scope, both scholarly and policy responses are likely to take increasing interest in this deeply geographic phenomenon. This is an important juncture to take stock, and reflect on what Geography can offer both academic and policy responses to managed retreat. While managed retreat has developed a critical and useful set of tools and ideas for dealing with profound climate adaptation measures, there remain omissions. Here we point to the historical perspective, participative community‐based approaches, and diversifying from over‐researched examples that can dominate this (sub)field as aspects that can all be strengthened going forward. To end, we offer three recommendations for further thought on managed retreat.

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“…The emergence and spread of community-led initiatives that grapple with sustainability challenges and social justice has been a subject of much academic quest (Schmid et al, 2021;Kohler et al, 2019;Hossain, 2016). Organic food and renewable energy cooperatives, recycling laboratories, digital commons, bicycle kitchens, libraries of things, intentional living communities, and co-housing initiatives, among multiple others, can be understood and interpreted, using multiple and overlapping lenses and frames of reference.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%