Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 14.1 Aspects in the way science is changing (“ from…” to “a more …”) in order to deal with
socioecosystem research and in its quest for earth stewardship towards sustainability
+ NEW TRANSDISCIPLINARY
PARADIGM
CURRENT PARADIGM
Change in philosophical approach
Reductionist
+ Holistic
Analysis
+ Synthesis
Rational (Cartesian)
+ Empirical (phenomenology)
Change in commitment
Current generation concern
+ Future generation concern
Curiosity driven
+ Result based research
Understanding
+ Managing ecosystems
Change in scope
Disciplinary
+ Interdisciplinary
Process oriented
+ System oriented
Short term
+ Long term
Change in geographical scale of focus
Local
+ Global
National
+ International
North-north
+ North-south
Indoors
+ Outdoors
Change in type of collaboration
Competition
+ Cooperation
Individual
+ Collective
Teamwork
+ Network
Disciplinary
+ Transdisciplinary
Change in institutional arrangements
Peer review
+ Society review
Vertical governance
+ Horizontal
Institute
+ Meta-institute
scientists; and the institutional arrangements we develop to accomplish our research
efforts (Table 14.1 ). We will describe briefl y all these changes that constitute a
whole new epistemological paradigm of science for the study of socioecosystems.
14.3.1
Philosophical Approach
System thinking is a relatively new philosophical approach to observe nature.
This approach has been able to comprehend the hierarchical character of nature,
show the limitations of the analytical approach to studying its complexity, and dem-
onstrates the importance of stepping back to ponder the whole and to identify the
emerging properties of that whole, which is “more than the sum of its parts”. With
a more phenomenological approach, we can recognize a world in which reality
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search