Transformative spaces in the making: key lessons from nine cases in the Global South

Abstract

Creating a just and sustainable planet will require not only small changes, but also systemic transformations in how humans relate to the planet and to each other, i.e., social-ecological transformations. We suggest there is a need for collaborative environments where experimentation with new configurations of social-ecological systems can occur, and we refer to these as transformative spaces. In this paper, we seek a better understanding of how to design and enable the creation of transformative spaces in a development context. We analyse nine case studies from a previous special issue on Designing Transformative Spaces that aimed to collect examples of cutting-edge action-oriented research on transformations from the Global South. The analysis showed five design phases as being essential: Problem Definition Phase; Operationalisation Phase; Tactical Phase; Outcome Phase; and Reflection Phase. From this synthesis, we distilled five key messages that should be considered when designing research, including: (a) there are ethical dilemmas associated with creating a transformative space in a system; (b) it is important to assess the readiness of the system for change before engaging in it; (c) there is a need to balance between 'safe' and 'safe-enough' spaces for transformation; (d) convening a transformative space requires an assemblage of diverse methodological frameworks and tools; and (e) transformative spaces can act as a starting point for institutionalising transformative change. Many researchers are now engaging in transdisciplinary transformations research, and are finding themselves at the knowledge-action interface contributing to transformative space-making. We hope that by analysing experiences from across different geographies we can contribute towards better understanding of how to navigate the processes needed for the urgent global transformations that are being called for to create a more equitable and sustainable planet Earth.

Scaling the impact of sustainability initiatives: a typology of amplification processes

“…Despite this heterogeneity, the literature is predominantly led by researchers in the Global North, often with technocratic and positivistic paradigms of what transformations are and how they emerge (Ramos-Mejía et al 2018;Köhler et al 2019;Lam et al 2020). A recent study from the Global South emphasises that transformations are highly contested and an integral part is to consider conflict and dilemmas in the research design early on (Pereira et al 2020). Furthermore, the normative goal of sustainability is sometimes critiqued to be dominated by Western worldviews, mind-sets, and values, which may not apply to contexts in the Global South (Kothari et al 2014;Scoones et al 2020).…”

Structured Collaboration Across a Transformative Knowledge Network—Learning Across Disciplines, Cultures and Contexts?

“…The ambition for 'triple loop learning' (learning about the learning process, with the hope of learning how to learn better) bore fruit to the extent that key findings were identified in related work on transformative spaces [66], re-framing [37,67] and alignment and power in transdisciplinary engagement [22] and to some extent around theoretical/methodological anchors, learning and evaluation (in this paper). Each of these offer possible foci for future work, either in the same sites (building on insights to date) or in novel contexts.…”

“…They aimed to identify and cultivate transformative pathways in contexts in which the desired end-state of the system was at least uncertain or contested, however certain normative commitments (around environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation and social justice) were shared. Under these conditions the role of T-Labs became as much about convening "transformative spaces" [65,66]-where differences could be surfaced, negotiated, tensions resolved (or otherwise) and transformative agency enhanced-whether through cognitive changes at the individual level or through fostering collaborations across individuals or groups-as about conducting research.…”

Unpacking Changing Multi-Actor and Multi-Level Actor Ties in Transformative Spaces: Insights from a Degraded Landscape, Machubeni, South Africa

“…Instead, they play an active role as "transformative space-makers" [39]. In this role, researchers play a pivotal role in selecting and organising social actors in transformative spaces while balancing power dynamics [32].…”