TY - JOUR

T1 - Transformation in a changing climate

T2 - a research agenda

AU - Fazey, Ioan

AU - Moug, Peter

AU - Allen, Simon

AU - Beckmann, Kate

AU - Blackwood, David

AU - Bonaventura, Mike

AU - Burnett, Kathryn

AU - Danson, Mike

AU - Falconer, Ruth

AU - Gagnon, Alexandre S.

AU - Harkness, Rachel

AU - Hodgson, Anthony

AU - Holm, Lorens

AU - Irvine, Katherine N.

AU - Low, Ragne

AU - Lyon, Christopher

AU - Moss, Anna

AU - Moran, Clare

AU - Naylor, Larissa

AU - O'Brien, Karen

AU - Russell, Shona

AU - Skerratt, Sarah

AU - Rao-Williams, Jennifer

AU - Wolstenholme, Ruth

PY - 2018/4/3

Y1 - 2018/4/3

N2 - The concept of transformation in relation to climate and other global change is increasingly receiving attention. The concept provides important opportunities to help examine how rapid and fundamental change to address contemporary global challenges can be facilitated. This paper contributes to discussions about transformation by providing a social science, arts and humanities perspective to open up discussion and set out a research agenda about what it means to transform and the dimensions, limitations and possibilities for transformation. Key focal areas include: (1) change theories; (2) knowing whether transformation has occurred or is occurring; (3) knowledge production and use; (4) governance; (5) how dimensions of social justice inform transformation; (6) the limits of human nature; (7) the role of the utopian impulse; (8) working with the present to create new futures; and (9) human consciousness. In addition to presenting a set of research questions around these themes the paper highlights that much deeper engagement with complex social processes is required; that there are vast opportunities for social science, humanities and the arts to engage more directly with the climate challenge; that there is a need for a massive upscaling of efforts to understand and shape desired forms of change; and that, in addition to helping answer important questions about how to facilitate change, a key role of the social sciences, humanities and the arts in addressing climate change is to critique current societal patterns and to open up new thinking. Through such critique and by being more explicit about what is meant by transformation, greater opportunities will be provided for opening up a dialogue about change, possible futures and about what it means to re-shape the way in which people live.

AB - The concept of transformation in relation to climate and other global change is increasingly receiving attention. The concept provides important opportunities to help examine how rapid and fundamental change to address contemporary global challenges can be facilitated. This paper contributes to discussions about transformation by providing a social science, arts and humanities perspective to open up discussion and set out a research agenda about what it means to transform and the dimensions, limitations and possibilities for transformation. Key focal areas include: (1) change theories; (2) knowing whether transformation has occurred or is occurring; (3) knowledge production and use; (4) governance; (5) how dimensions of social justice inform transformation; (6) the limits of human nature; (7) the role of the utopian impulse; (8) working with the present to create new futures; and (9) human consciousness. In addition to presenting a set of research questions around these themes the paper highlights that much deeper engagement with complex social processes is required; that there are vast opportunities for social science, humanities and the arts to engage more directly with the climate challenge; that there is a need for a massive upscaling of efforts to understand and shape desired forms of change; and that, in addition to helping answer important questions about how to facilitate change, a key role of the social sciences, humanities and the arts in addressing climate change is to critique current societal patterns and to open up new thinking. Through such critique and by being more explicit about what is meant by transformation, greater opportunities will be provided for opening up a dialogue about change, possible futures and about what it means to re-shape the way in which people live.

KW - adaptation

KW - social transformation

KW - sustainable development

KW - transformative adaptation

KW - Transdisciplinary studies

KW - Environmental Governance

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85017094272&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/8e12b6cb-a48c-3bc2-9d20-afaf947b2b58/

U2 - 10.1080/17565529.2017.1301864

DO - 10.1080/17565529.2017.1301864

M3 - Scientific review articles

AN - SCOPUS:85017094272

VL - 10

SP - 197

EP - 217

JO - Climate and Development

JF - Climate and Development

SN - 1756-5529

IS - 3

ER -