It’s probably fair to say that few concepts in the social sciences are the focus of as much confusion, and unclear debates and writing, as the concept of an institution. Well, I often find such writing and debates confusing, Do you, too? Scholars often define “institutions” very differently, variably interpret their effects (e.g. some view … [Read more…]
Today I attended an interesting discussion about the 2018 International Sustainability Transitions (IST) conference (via the Australian Sustainability Transitions Research Alliance [ASTRA]) at which conference attendees shared their thoughts and reflections on the conference. Running through multiple thoughts and observations seemed to be dissatisfaction with current theory and practice in relation to present sustainability issues … [Read more…]
I’ve been reflecting on my PhD work and some potential future directions for my research which build on my growing interest in knowledge-related aspects of sustainability transitions. This post sketches a few preliminary thoughts regarding what a research agenda focussed on these aspects of transitions could examine and why. An important line of inquiry in my … [Read more…]
This post briefly considers Chris Thomas’s new book Inheritors of the Earth: How Nature Is Thriving in an Age of Extinction. As the subtitle suggests, the book seeks to challenge the “pessimism-laden, loss-only view of the world” (p.9) that Thomas believes is currently dominant in conservation and ecology. In contrast, the book emphasises the “biological … [Read more…]
These questions have been on my mind lately, particularly in relation to an article entitled “The Uninhabitable Earth” (link) which recently caught fire on social media. This post briefly considers these questions and related questions about human action on climate and energy issues. The questions are not simple or straightforward to consider, but topical high-profile … [Read more…]
This post began as a research “memo” (written to myself as an entry in a reflective PhD journal) entitled “on psychological plausibility”. I was prompted to write it by a couple of pieces written by David Roberts on current debates about 100% renewable electricity and the feasibility of such goals (see link, link) and other … [Read more…]
A new book popularising and discussing cognitive science, The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone, recently got my attention. It focusses on recent research findings that people tend to radically overestimate how much they know and, linked with this, greatly overestimate their knowledge of how things work (e.g. fairly simple things like how modern … [Read more…]
Our capacity as a society and individuals to deal with novel, complex problems can be hampered by our tribal groupishness. That’s a key claim made by some psychologists who argue that our brains were designed for a tribal way of life. They argue that our capacity for moral reasoning developed to enable within-group cooperation … [Read more…]
Lately I’ve seen the following James Gustave Speth quote shared on social media: When I read that quote I “groaned” a little. Cultural change is part of what’s needed, no doubt about it, but are the top problems “selfishness, greed and apathy”? Apathy can hamper any change effort, sure, but the emphasis on selfishness and … [Read more…]
Whilst many people would argue that there aren’t unsolvable tensions between scholarship and activism I’ve sometimes found that there are tensions. It’s something that I’ve been thinking about regarding future career options and directions. I was also stimulated to revisit this line of thought by a fascinating talk given by the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt … [Read more…]