A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Do Conceptual Innovations Facilitate Transformative Change? The Case of Biodiversity Governance
This paper explores to what extent and in what ways conceptual innovations matter for biodiversity governance. A three-step analysis is employed, starting with identifying theoretical insights on how concepts matter for transformative change. These insights provide a lens for examining the academic debate on the Ecosystem Services concept and for identifying critical conceptual challenges related to transformative change. Finally, how the concept is used and valued in policy practice is explored through an empirical study of policy practitioners in Sweden. Based on this investigation we conclude that the ES concept holds important but restricted properties for transformative change. The ES concept provides new meanings in the form of economic valuation of nature, but these remain highly contested and difficult to practice; ES function as a boundary object, but poorly integrates social analysis and, in practice engages professionals, rather than resulting in more inclusive public participation; and ES function performatively by reflecting a technocratic ideal and raising awareness rather than targeting fundamental political challenges. Finally, the paper returns to the general questions of how conceptual innovations can generate transformative change and argues that in the continued work of conceptually developing the Nature’s Contribution to People, researchers and practitioners need to pay close attention to interpretive frames, political dimensions, and institutional structures, necessitating a strong role for social analysis in this process of conceptual innovation.
Do Conceptual Innovations Facilitate Transformative Change? The Case of Biodiversity Governance
This paper explores to what extent and in what ways conceptual innovations matter for biodiversity governance. A three-step analysis is employed, starting with identifying theoretical insights on how concepts matter for transformative change. These insights provide a lens for examining the academic debate on the Ecosystem Services concept and for identifying critical conceptual challenges related to transformative change. Finally, how the concept is used and valued in policy practice is explored through an empirical study of policy practitioners in Sweden. Based on this investigation we conclude that the ES concept holds important but restricted properties for transformative change. The ES concept provides new meanings in the form of economic valuation of nature, but these remain highly contested and difficult to practice; ES function as a boundary object, but poorly integrates social analysis and, in practice engages professionals, rather than resulting in more inclusive public participation; and ES function performatively by reflecting a technocratic ideal and raising awareness rather than targeting fundamental political challenges. Finally, the paper returns to the general questions of how conceptual innovations can generate transformative change and argues that in the continued work of conceptually developing the Nature’s Contribution to People, researchers and practitioners need to pay close attention to interpretive frames, political dimensions, and institutional structures, necessitating a strong role for social analysis in this process of conceptual innovation.
Do Conceptual Innovations Facilitate Transformative Change? The Case of Biodiversity Governance
Hysing, Erik (author) / Lidskog, Rolf (author)
2021-01-01
ISI:000618638500001
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
ecosystem services , nature’s contribution to people , transformative change , boundary objects , conceptual innovations , biodiversity policy , environmental governance , Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies) , Statsvetenskap (exklusive studier av offentlig förvaltning och globaliseringsstudier) , Sociology (excluding Social Work , Social Psychology and Social Anthropology) , Sociologi (exklusive socialt arbete , socialpsykologi och socialantropologi)
Transformative science–policy interfacing: the case of biodiversity and ecosystem services
| Springer Verlag | 2025
| Taylor & Francis Verlag | 2020