The need for formal reflexivity in conservation science

Boyce, Paul; Bhattacharyya, Jonaki; Linklater, Wayne L.

doi:10.1111/cobi.13840

Cited by 32 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…But what is knowledge? Researchers frequently only value scientific knowledge, and local knowledge can be disputed against the "facts" science provides (Boyce et al, 2021). In our work, we strive to recognise that other people's experiential knowledge is as valid and valuable as our biological knowledge, when discussing our focal species.…”

Section: Knowledge and Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Practicing reflexivity can provide important insights (Boyce et al, 2021;England, 1994) and help us reveal the subtle ways in which we perform our identity (Kohl & McCutcheon, 2015). Reflexive practice provides us with a strategy to better understand how our positions collectively influence us and to recognise the privileges they afford us while carrying out our work.…”

Section: Positionality Of the Primatology Profession And Ourselves As...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Working from the Inside Out: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Expanding Our Criteria for Conservation Success

Cardinal

Strubel

Oxley³

2022

Int J Primatol

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Primatological research is often associated with understanding animals and their habitats, yet practical conservation depends entirely on human actions. This encompasses the activities of Indigenous and local people, conservationists, and NGOs working on the ground, as well as more remote funders and policymakers. In this paper we explore what it means to be a conservationist in the 2020s. While many primatologists accept the benefits of more socially inclusive dimensions of research and conservation practice, in reality there remain many challenges. We discuss the role primatologists can play to enhance interdisciplinary working and their relationships with communities living in and around their study sites, and examine how increased reflexivity and consideration of one’s positionality can improve primatological practice. Emphasis on education and stakeholder consultation may still echo colonial, top-down dialogues, and the need for greater emphasis on genuine knowledge-sharing among all stakeholders should be recognised. If we are sincere about this approach, we might need to redefine how we see, consider, and define conservation success. We may also have to embrace more compromises. By evaluating success in conservation we explore how reflexive engagements with our positionality and equitable knowledge-sharing contribute to fostering intrinsic motivation and building resilience.

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Section: Knowledge and Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Positionality Of the Primatology Profession And Ourselves As...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Working from the Inside Out: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Expanding Our Criteria for Conservation Success

Cardinal

Strubel

Oxley³

2022

Int J Primatol

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“…Lack of understanding of how our values and beliefs shape CPB research limits our ability to contribute to conservation solutions in situations where social inequity and conflicts in values occur (Boyce et al, 2021). We need to understand not only the value system that underpins and influences our work (which, as with conservation biology, is deeply rooted in Western normative values of nature and conservation; Yanco et al, 2019;Boyce et al, 2021), but also how our personal values and beliefs shape our research and interpretations. Developing such an attitude of reflexivity (Beck et al, 2021;Boyce et al, 2021) will enable us to become better attuned to potential value-based conflicts and their consequences.…”

Section: Temporal Thinking Competencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…We need to understand not only the value system that underpins and influences our work (which, as with conservation biology, is deeply rooted in Western normative values of nature and conservation; Yanco et al, 2019;Boyce et al, 2021), but also how our personal values and beliefs shape our research and interpretations. Developing such an attitude of reflexivity (Beck et al, 2021;Boyce et al, 2021) will enable us to become better attuned to potential value-based conflicts and their consequences. Without acknowledging that conservation is a normative endeavor, and recognizing and learning from different ways of knowing and valuing, we will be unable to identify longer lasting, fairer, more just and more equitable solutions to conservation problems.…”

Section: Temporal Thinking Competencementioning

confidence: 99%

Core Competencies for Training Conservation Paleobiology Students in a Wicked World

Kelley

Dietl

2022

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Despite the promise conservation paleobiology holds for using geohistorical data and insights to solve conservation problems, training in the field typically does not equip students to be competent environmental problem solvers. The intention of this perspective piece is to start a conversation about how we might train conservation paleobiology students better, focusing on the competencies needed to promote deep engagement with “wicked” conservation problems that are difficult to solve. Ongoing conversations regarding design of academic programs in sustainability, a field allied with conservation science, can inform our discussion. The sustainability literature has defined an interrelated set of “core competencies” that go beyond general academic competencies to enable real-world sustainability problem solving: systems thinking, temporal thinking, normative thinking, strategic thinking, and interpersonal competence. Conservation paleobiology is usually taught within geology programs, where students are exposed to systems thinking and temporal thinking. However, the remaining competencies typically are absent or insufficiently developed. To infuse these competencies into conservation paleobiology curricula, we recommend: (1) enhancing connections with sustainability programs and encouraging a more cross-disciplinary approach to training; (2) developing a “menu” of concepts and methodologies for each competence from which to choose; and (3) recognizing that different skills are appropriate at different levels of education and experience. The proposed competency-based framework serves as a shared reference that can be used to develop pedagogies to better prepare conservation paleobiology students to navigate the wicked conservation challenges of our time.

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“…A number of recent papers regarding conservation research indicate that this concern is widely shared (Boyce, Bhattacharyya, and Linklater 2021;Brittain et al 2020;Montana et al 2020). It is especially relevant when researchers have a clear interest in the outcomes of their research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation Science and Discursive Violence: A Response to Two Rejoinders

Koot

Hebinck

Sullivan

2021

Society & Natural Resources

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We respond to two rejoinders to our review article "Science for Success," which proposed fuller contextualization of epistemological approach, researcher position and interests in conservation research. This way readers-including reviewers and journal editors-can better understand and interpret findings. We suggest this contextualization is particularly important when conservation and development professionals undertake research about programs they are involved in, as this can potentially create a conflict of interest. Both rejoinders follow an extended process of complaint about our article that included academic and legal threats, and ad hominem attacks, with little engagement with the points made about researcher positionality. We consider this to be a form of "discursive violence" deployed to silence unfavorable perspectives, confirming our argument that positionality in conservation (research) begs self-reflection and transparent disclosure.

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The need for formal reflexivity in conservation science

Abstract: Article impact statement: Research concerning controversial species highlights a need to adopt formal reflexivity methods in conservation biology.

Cited by 32 publications

References 61 publications

Working from the Inside Out: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Expanding Our Criteria for Conservation Success

Working from the Inside Out: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Expanding Our Criteria for Conservation Success

Core Competencies for Training Conservation Paleobiology Students in a Wicked World

Conservation Science and Discursive Violence: A Response to Two Rejoinders

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