Jumping off Arnstein's ladder: social learning as a new policy paradigm for climate change adaptation

Abstract

Participation of citizens, groups, organizations and businesses is now an essential element to tackle climate change effectively at international, European Union, national and local levels. However, beyond the general imperative to participate, major policy bodies offer little guidance on what this entails. We suggest that the dominance of Arnstein's ladder of citizen participation in policy discourses constrains the ways we think about, and critically the purposes we ascribe to, participation in a climate change context. We suggest an alternative framing of climate change, where no single group has clear access to understanding the issue and its resolution. Thus adaptation is fundamentally dependent on new forms of learning. Drawing on experiences of social learning approaches to natural resource managing, we explore how a commitment to social learning more accurately embodies the new kinds of role, relationship, practice and sense of purpose required to progress adaptive climate change agendas and practices.

Methodological challenges of trans-disciplinary research: some systemic reflections

“…In my view commitments to a "systems science" at the expense of "systems praxis" have held back the contributions that systems approaches can make to improving complex issues 32 . Whilst participation is important and necessary I no longer regard it as sufficient -social learning has, in my view, more to offer (see Collins and Ison, 2006). I would also specify third generation knowledge management (and beyond) as well as the emerging understandings about communities of practice.…”

Innovating Climate Governance

“…They have an explicit aim of measuring the impact of the intervention and comparing this to existing or baseline conditions. This process of experimentation creates learning loops to inform new modes of climate governance (Collins & Ison, 2009;Evans & Karvonen, 2011).…”

Developing adaptive capacity in times of climate change in central rural Vietnam: exploring smallholders’ learning and governance

“…It is increasingly becoming a normative goal in natural resource management (Keen et al, 2005) and sustainability research and practice (Wals, 2007). This type of learning seems quite suitable for fostering adaptive management and stakeholder engagement in the context of "wicked" problems such as climate change (Collins & Ison, 2009;Wilder et al, 2010;Ensor & Harvey, 2015). In early 1 1 1 work, social learning was conceptualized as individual learning that takes place in a social context and is influenced by social norms (Bandura, 1977).…”

“…Based on our reading of the rapidly growing body of social learning literature we added two additional phases to arrive at a total of six phases that can be distinguished in a dynamic social learning configuration (Collins & Ison, 2009;Daniels & Walker, 2001;Mostert et al, 2007;Muro & Jeffrey, 2008;Schusler et al, 2003;Wals et al, 2012):…”

“…In addition, active involvement of those to be engaged in designing the learning configuration is important as such involvement can already lay the ground work for increasing awareness, breaking down hierarchies and improve trust (Pringle & Conway, 2012;Rist et al, 2006), as well as give room for collective action Collins & Ison, 2009;Mapfumo et al, 2013). Finally, the relevance, legitimacy, and appropriateness of contents, Daniels & Walker 2001;Schusler et al, 2003;Mostert et al, 2007;Muro & Jeffrey 2008;Collins & Ison 2009;Wals et al, 2012) Crucial in the implementation phase is the appropriateness of the learning environment for all participants (Muro & Jeffrey, 2008;Wals et al, 2012). In social learning-oriented interventions open communication, unrestrained thinking, diversity of knowledge, extended engagement and constrictive conflict, are critical (Muro & Jeffrey, 2008;Johnson et al, 2012;.…”