Abstract
Investigating the sustainability of social–ecological systems in the context of climatic, economic and social changes requires novel science practises. Transdisciplinary research (TDR) presents an interesting approach on how science can interact with society in finding meaningful answers to wicked problems. Social–ecological systems in mountain areas are particularly relevant not only because of their serious vulnerability to global changes but also because of their efforts to move towards sustainability. The researchers' collective Perce-Neige strives to tackle these challenges and applies novel transdisciplinary approaches. The collective is composed of early career researchers coming from various disciplines, working on sustainable transitions in mountains. For a week, 12 early career researchers conducted TDR for joint problem framing with inhabitants and local institutions of the municipality of Gresse-en-Vercors in the French Alps. The objective was to facilitate the development of a common vision and initiate collective thinking for a sustainable future of the territoire. Participants (researchers and inhabitants) became acquainted with each other through different interfaces facilitating exchanges, reflections and co-constructions (collective walk, individual interviews, participatory workshops, informal daily exchanges). The research allowed us to capture different perspectives on local issues that cause conflicts, and then to discuss and identify needs and solutions. We aim to present and assess the methodology for joint problem framing developed by the collective. This paper presents the benefits of such a methodology for acculturating early career researchers to TDR, and for framing societal problems and reflecting on actions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1291-1309 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Sustainability Science |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 13 Jan 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank the Labex ITTEM for funding this research. We also thank the municipality of Gresse-en-Vercors for the support in the realisation of this research. We greatly want to thank all the inhabitants of Gresse-en-Vercors, who participated in the research, for their openness, curiosity and interest.
Funding Information:
The self-organised research association Collectif Perce-Neige (translated into English, it means: the Snowdrop Collective) gathers about 40 early career researchers (human geography, ecology, history, glaciology, sociology, anthropology, environment, political science, etc.) who work on mountain areas. In 2019, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers formed the collective from scientific events and research groups organised by the Labex ITTEM (Innovations and Transitions in Mountain Territoires). The association brings together researchers from the Université Grenoble-Alpes, the Savoy Mont Blanc University and other universities and research institutions interested in mountain research (e.g. INRAE). The collective relies on the financial resources from universities and research institutes, and to a lesser extent on funding from local authorities.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Japan KK, part of Springer Nature.
Funding
We thank the Labex ITTEM for funding this research. We also thank the municipality of Gresse-en-Vercors for the support in the realisation of this research. We greatly want to thank all the inhabitants of Gresse-en-Vercors, who participated in the research, for their openness, curiosity and interest. The self-organised research association Collectif Perce-Neige (translated into English, it means: the Snowdrop Collective) gathers about 40 early career researchers (human geography, ecology, history, glaciology, sociology, anthropology, environment, political science, etc.) who work on mountain areas. In 2019, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers formed the collective from scientific events and research groups organised by the Labex ITTEM (Innovations and Transitions in Mountain Territoires). The association brings together researchers from the Université Grenoble-Alpes, the Savoy Mont Blanc University and other universities and research institutions interested in mountain research (e.g. INRAE). The collective relies on the financial resources from universities and research institutes, and to a lesser extent on funding from local authorities.
Keywords
- Early career researchers
- Joint problem framing
- Methodology
- Sustainable transitions
- Transdisciplinary research