Grassroots engagement with transition to sustainability: diversity and modes of participation in the international permaculture movement

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Grassroots networks and social movements are increasingly regarded as agents of change that can help respond to environmental degradation both by generating novel solutions to existing problems and influencing institutions toward more substantive responses. We examine permaculture, an international movement that, despite its broad international distribution and relatively high public profile, has received little systematic scrutiny in the scientific literature. We attempt to remedy that gap by conducting a broad international (though English-only) survey of 731 permaculture participants, and assessing the socio-demographic characteristics of the movement. The survey examined self-identified roles of permaculture participants and explored the relationships between those roles and socio-demographic factors race, gender, and socioeconomic status. The influence of structural factors on participant roles was examined by including multidimensional national indices development, inequality, and ecosystem vitality, for the 45 countries in the sample. Results showed the participation of women at or above parity (53%), while participation by race showed a white supermajority (96%). Multivariate regression demonstrated that race, gender, and socioeconomic status are shaping participation in distinct ways and that each interact with structural factors. The effects of gender on social roles varied with ecosystem vitality, with women scoring higher than men in countries with high levels of ecosystem vitality, and the reverse where ecosystem vitality was low. The observed effect of race on practice varied with national inequality, such that the scores of respondents of color were equivalent to white respondents in countries with the least inequality, but descended as inequality increased, while whites were unaffected. Different indicators of socioeconomic status depressed and amplified different dimensions of participation. Results point toward a theoretical framework that identifies multiple levels and sites through which socio-demographic factors shape participation in grassroots environmental action, and the outlines of such a framework are discussed.

The German Permaculture Community from a Community of Practice Perspective

“…Investigating dynamics on multiple levels, scholars started to raise questions about the impacts and factors of success and failure of grassroots initiatives and their networks [19,20,24,38,43,[45][46][47], their organisation and community dynamics [12,35,[48][49][50], as well as concerning the psychological factors of individual engagement [51,52].…”

“…First, as a worldview it underscores the potential of synergistic effects on human well-being and ecosystem health that are realised when holistic, ecologically informed design and management practices are applied. Simultaneously, it offers a model of change that empowers people by stressing the individuals' and local communities' ability to take direct and concrete action [49]. Second, as a design system permaculture draws on ecological and systems-thinking principles, offering strategies and tools for analysis and selection criteria for appropriate practices sensitive to the respective site conditions and goals [49].…”

“…Simultaneously, it offers a model of change that empowers people by stressing the individuals' and local communities' ability to take direct and concrete action [49]. Second, as a design system permaculture draws on ecological and systems-thinking principles, offering strategies and tools for analysis and selection criteria for appropriate practices sensitive to the respective site conditions and goals [49]. Third, since many tools and practices are adapted from other disciplines, Ferguson and Lovell [49] suggest that permaculture is best described as a best practices framework modelling ecological systems aiming to optimise systems.…”

“…Second, as a design system permaculture draws on ecological and systems-thinking principles, offering strategies and tools for analysis and selection criteria for appropriate practices sensitive to the respective site conditions and goals [49]. Third, since many tools and practices are adapted from other disciplines, Ferguson and Lovell [49] suggest that permaculture is best described as a best practices framework modelling ecological systems aiming to optimise systems. Finally, people with an interest in permaculture engaging in informal self-organised networks loosely form a movement on the regional, national and international level.…”

Radical Environmentalism and “Commoning”: Synergies Between Ecosystem Regeneration and Social Governance at Tamera Ecovillage, Portugal

“…Scholars of Radical Environmentalism are starting to pay attention to how structural and symbolic inequalities shape participation in related movements and initiatives. Ferguson and Lovell's () exploratory survey on grassroots participation in the international permaculture movement detected significant barriers to entrance and participation based on race, class and gender. White/Caucasian ethnicity and intermediate to high purchasing power (measured as income) and cultural capital (measured as education) were found to be prevalent among the vast majority of participants.…”