Learning in, with, and through the Territory: Territory-Based Learning as a Catalyst for Urban Sustainability

Abstract

Territorial problems such as the socio-ecological degradation of urban rivers represent a great challenge to achieving sustainability in cities. This issue demands collaborative efforts and the crossing of boundaries determined by actors that act from diverse spheres of knowledge and systems of practice. Based on an integrative territory notion and the boundary approach, the goal of this paper is to comprehend the boundary crossings that take place in multi-actor initiatives towards the resolution of this problem and what type of territorial transformation is produced as an outcome. Our analysis is built on participatory research on the Taquara Stream case, a degraded watercourse in a socio-ecologically vulnerable area, in southern Brazil. Our data analysis applied a visual chronological narrative and an interdisciplinary theoretical framework of analysis that combined concepts related to the territory (geography) and the boundary approach (education). We verified that local territorial issues functioned as boundary objects, fostering and facilitating dialogical interaction among involved actors, knowledge co-production, and collaborative practical actions that led to changes in the territory in terms of practices, comprehensions, and physical concrete transformations. We framed this study as one of territory-based learning meant to advance the understanding of territorial intervention processes towards urban sustainability.Sustainability 2020, 12, 3000 2 of 19 different interests, forms of knowledge, systems of practice, capacities for articulation, and influence in decision-making [7][8][9][10][11].Territory is understood here as an entity emerging from the interconnected dynamics between society and nature [12,13] and regarded as an important concept for critically reflecting on the socio-environmental processes enacted by initiatives towards urban river regeneration. The territory is formed by the interplay of diverse systems of practice, ideologies, and forces engendered by the social actors interacting and co-producing these evolving socionatural spaces [14]. It implies diverse modes of collaboration, forms of appropriation, and power relations [15,16]. From this standpoint, we argue that initiatives aiming at the transformation of the harsh reality engendered by the degradation of urban rivers must be comprehended not just in terms of the desired concrete biophysical changes they should achieve but as actions embedded in territories that deal with territorial issues and all the complexity conveyed by this notion.The search for solutions to such territorial problems implies collaborative efforts and the crossing of boundaries established by actors that act relatively independently from diverse spheres of knowledge and practice [9,11,[17][18][19]. Such boundary crossing can take place when a group composed of representatives of different social actors act in concert, interact and conduct dialogue, critically reflect together, and collectively learn [20,21] so as to co-create sustainability-oriented solutions...

Unveiling Pathways to Enhance Social Learning Processes in Water Struggles

“…As a result, an increase in the co-creative and exploratory potential of the group was reported. Such findings and insights from this case (widely reported in key papers on the case, e.g., [45,58,59]) formed the basis of the discussion with the expert panel, which is discussed in the following section. The assessment and analysis of how social learning processes unfolded within the WG was carried out through notes taken during participant observation, semi-structured interviews with members who were consistently present at the WG meetings (11 people), focus groups with these participants, and in-depth interviews with key participants.…”

“…As a result, an increase in the co-creative and exploratory potential of the group was reported. Such findings and insights from this case (widely reported in key papers on the case, e.g., [45,58,59]) formed the basis of the discussion with the expert panel, which is discussed in the following section.…”

“…In the Taquara case, the involvement of the action researcher contributed to local learning practices by supporting the structuring of spaces for dialogue, the systematization of the universe of local ideas, and the strengthening of existing networks. In line with the experience of the experts, the researcher's active involvement in the Taquara case also led to the expansion of the initiative's network of allies, because she linked the movement to other academic researchers in her network who became involved in the initiative, for example, by incorporating the case into their research and undergraduate courses (e.g., courses on water quality monitoring) [45]. Here, the researcher can be seen as a broker.…”

“…In such cases, it may be essential to establish spaces for interaction in which these differences can be acknowledged and navigated constructively [44]. In that context, social learning can contribute to the improvement of collaborative processes and agonistic emancipatory approaches aimed at enabling and empowering historically sidelined social groups to co-create local and systemic solutions aimed at improving the socio-environmental systems of river basins, as well as promoting socio-environmental justice, equity, and the well-being of the communities living in these areas [45].…”

Ethno-conservation and environmental education in Brazil: resistance and learning in a traditional community

“…Conforme diretrizes legais brasileiras (Brasil, 2007), o Estado tem papel de proteger esses povos tradicionais das pressões externas que ameaçam sua existência e reprodução. Todavia, a atmosfera de desconfiança estabelecida entre esses atores em meio aos processos de aprendizagem nesse continuum de tempo do desastre coloca a necessidade de que órgãos estatais que estejam em contato mais direto com a população, como agentes da defesa civil, engajem-se em ações de transformação dessa realidade para que haja a possibilidade de criação conjunta de novos modos de se gerir esse território de modo partilhado e democrático Muro & Jeffrey, 2008;Souza, Kuhn, Wals & Jacobi, 2020). A seguir são apresentadas algumas discussões pertinentes dos dados em diálogo com a literatura.…”