Mikael Klintman
Professor
The role of epistemic signalling in transdisciplinary knowledge production : Examples from the field of sustainable water management
Författare
Summary, in English
The number of arrangements where academia collaborates with governmental and
nongovernmental organisations, as well as industries, have increased over the last decades.
While research has focused on whether knowledge produced in such collaborations is genuinely
influenced by others than the ‘experts’, or those with the highest status and power, this report
explores the influence of framings and re-framings of what the participants and society should
perceive as the nature of knowledge: epistemology. We analyse the framings of epistemology
through the concept ‘epistemic signalling’. Epistemic signalling refers to communication or
rule-making that indicates what type(s) of knowledge is considered relevant, valuable or useful
in knowledge collaboration. Empirically we draw on two examples of transdisciplinary
collaborations in the field of water management (one from the UK and one from the US). Indepth
interviews were combined with document analysis.
We have analysed three themes of epistemic signalling that we suggest influence knowledge
collaborations. The first one concerns how the form and theme of the collaboration were
decided upon and is based on Arnstein’s (1969) ladder of participation. The second refers to
what type(s) of participants were considered suitable – as for example experts or lay people.
Here we use the framework of aggregate (bargaining-oriented) versus integrative (deliberative)
processes of knowledge collaboration in our analysis. The third and last theme concerns what
is perceived as valuable and successful in the collaborations, something that we discuss in terms
of procedural and epistemic virtues of knowledge collaborations.
The epistemology of organisations and participants in knowledge collaborations ought to be a
distinct subject of open discussions from the earliest planning stage and onwards. It is easy to
assume that epistemic signalling would be esoteric parts of practical, collaborative knowledge
production. To the contrary, open epistemological reflections may help highlight situations
where hierarchies turn out to be remains of routines inconsistent with new goals of more
profound exchange of practical and scientific knowledge. In such cases, the epistemologies
need to be revised to better fit the new goals.
nongovernmental organisations, as well as industries, have increased over the last decades.
While research has focused on whether knowledge produced in such collaborations is genuinely
influenced by others than the ‘experts’, or those with the highest status and power, this report
explores the influence of framings and re-framings of what the participants and society should
perceive as the nature of knowledge: epistemology. We analyse the framings of epistemology
through the concept ‘epistemic signalling’. Epistemic signalling refers to communication or
rule-making that indicates what type(s) of knowledge is considered relevant, valuable or useful
in knowledge collaboration. Empirically we draw on two examples of transdisciplinary
collaborations in the field of water management (one from the UK and one from the US). Indepth
interviews were combined with document analysis.
We have analysed three themes of epistemic signalling that we suggest influence knowledge
collaborations. The first one concerns how the form and theme of the collaboration were
decided upon and is based on Arnstein’s (1969) ladder of participation. The second refers to
what type(s) of participants were considered suitable – as for example experts or lay people.
Here we use the framework of aggregate (bargaining-oriented) versus integrative (deliberative)
processes of knowledge collaboration in our analysis. The third and last theme concerns what
is perceived as valuable and successful in the collaborations, something that we discuss in terms
of procedural and epistemic virtues of knowledge collaborations.
The epistemology of organisations and participants in knowledge collaborations ought to be a
distinct subject of open discussions from the earliest planning stage and onwards. It is easy to
assume that epistemic signalling would be esoteric parts of practical, collaborative knowledge
production. To the contrary, open epistemological reflections may help highlight situations
where hierarchies turn out to be remains of routines inconsistent with new goals of more
profound exchange of practical and scientific knowledge. In such cases, the epistemologies
need to be revised to better fit the new goals.
Avdelning/ar
- Sociologi
- Organisation
Publiceringsår
2020-06
Språk
Engelska
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Scores rapportserier
Issue
6
Fulltext
- Available as PDF - 668 kB
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Dokumenttyp
Rapport
Förlag
SCORE Rapportserie
Ämne
- Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Nyckelord
- Knowledge collaboration
- transdisciplinarity
- water management
- epistemic signalling
- participation
- Environmental Competency Group
- Uncommon dialogues
Status
Published
Projekt
- Beyond the market stalls and ivory towers: A study on integrated science for sustainable provision of knowledge
Report number
2020
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISBN: 978-91-88833-11-2
- ISBN: 978-91-88833-11-2