Browsing by Author "Stirling, Andy"

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From Risk Assessment to Knowledge Mapping: Science, Precaution, and Participation in Disease Ecology
(2009) Stirling, Andy; Scoones, Ian
"Governance of infectious disease risks requires understanding of often indeterminate interactions between diverse, complex, open, and dynamic human and natural systems. In the face of these challenges, worldwide policy making affords disproportionate status to 'science-based' risk-assessment methods. These reduce multiple, complex dimensions to simple quantitative parameters of 'outcomes' and 'probabilities, and then re-aggregate across diverse metrics, contexts, and perspectives to yield a single ostensibly definitive picture of risk. In contrast, more precautionary or participatory approaches are routinely portrayed as less rigorous, complete, or robust. Yet, although conventional reductive–aggregative techniques provide powerful responses to a narrow state of risk, they are not applicable to less tractable conditions of uncertainty, ambiguity, and ignorance. Strong sensitivities to divergent framings can render results highly variable. Reductive aggregation can marginalize important perspectives and compound exposure to surprise. The value of more broad-based precautionary and participatory approaches may be appreciated. These offer ways to be more rigorous and complete in the mapping of different framings. They may also be more robust than reductive–aggregative appraisal methods, in 'opening up' greater accountability for intrinsically normative judgements in decision making on threats like pandemic avian influenza."
Pathways to Sustainability: An Overview of the STEPS Centre Approach
(STEPS Centre, 2007) Leach, Melissa; Scoones, Ian; Stirling, Andy
"Who benefits from genetically-modified crops? Will there be enough water for people to survive this century? What are the implications of the HIV/AIDS pandemic? These are just some of the questions that the STEPS Centre--a new global research and policy hub based at the University of Sussex in the UK--is asking. This short document provides an overview of the approach that STEPS is taking as it seeks to grapple with two of the most pressing challenges of contemporary times: linking environmental sustainability with poverty reduction and social justice, and making science and technology work for the poor. Intended for anyone wanting a quick insight into the Centres work, it highlights key elements of the Centres pathways approach, how this approach interweaves the themes of systems dynamics, governance and designs, and the practical implications for the distinctive styles of interactive, engaged research that the Centre is undertaking."
The Politics of Social-ecological Resilience and Sustainable Socio-technical Transitions
(2010) Smith, Adrian; Stirling, Andy
"Technology-focused literature on socio-technical transitions shares some of the complex systems sensibilities of social-ecological systems research. We contend that the sharing of lessons between these areas of study must attend particularly to the common governance challenges that confront both approaches. Here, we focus on critical experience arising from reactions to a transition management approach to governing sustainable socio-technical transformations. Questions over who governs, whose system framings count, and whose sustainability gets prioritized are all pertinent to social-ecological systems research. We conclude that future research in both areas should deal more centrally and explicitly with these inherently political dimensions of sustainability."
Social-ecological Resilience and Socio-technical Transitions: Critical Issues for Sustainability Governance
(STEPS Centre, 2008) Smith, Adrian; Stirling, Andy
"Technology contributes both positively and negatively to the resilience of social-ecological systems, but is not considered in depth in that literature. A technology-focused literature on socio-technical transitions shares some of the complex adaptive systems sensibilities of social-ecological systems research. It is considered by others to provide a bridging opportunity to share lessons concerning the governance of both. We contend that lessons must not be restricted to advocacy of flexible, learning-oriented approaches, but must also be open to the critical challenges that confront these approaches. Here, we focus on the critical lessons arising from reactions to a transition management approach to governing transitions to sustainable socio-technical regimes. Moreover, we suggest it is important to bear in mind the different problems each literature addresses, and be cautious about transposing lessons between the two. Nevertheless, questions for transition management about who governs, whose system framings count, and whose sustainability gets prioritised are pertinent to social-ecological systems research. They suggest an agenda that explores critically the kinds of resilience that are helpful or unhelpful, and for whom, and with what social purposes in mind."