Reconstructing unruly ecological complexities

ecological complexity poses many challenges to conventional scientific ways of knowing

ecology & socio- environmental studies problematize boundaries interpretive studies of science facilitation of critical, reflective practice

Reconstructing unruly ecological complexities 3 intersecting strands: Disciplining unruly complexity, without suppressing it Linking knowledge making to changing diverse social relations Wrestling with potential & limitations of conceptual exploration

1. theoretical ecology, 1980s a. complexity-stability b. apparent interactions

"morphological" approach explain complexity in terms of the stability and structure of the configuration currently observed "developmental" approach incorporate ongoing turnover of populations and other components -> history and embeddedness in a spatial context

apparent interactions are sensitive to context to starting points for the trajectories simple model may fit observations well because hidden variables happen to remain within narrow bounds because a limited range of starting points was encountered counter-intuitive apparent interactions needed to mimic well the trajectories of the populations

e.g., the non-coexistence of species with similar requirements confounded by dynamics of populations with which those sub-communities interact in naturally variable & complex ecological situations principles proposed for simple sub- communities

assess the bounds outside of which the model could be confounded minimize applications beyond those bounds * use model “heuristically” * disturb boundedness Challenges for users of models

* use model “heuristically” stimulate your thinking open up questions orient future inquiries cannot be expected to serve well in all circumstances

do not assume that ecological complexity can be partitioned into communities or systems, in the sense of units that have clearly defined boundaries, coherent internal dynamics, and simply mediated relations with their external context

2. philosophy of modeling

Level of correspondenceFitAccessory Conditions Schema or Exploratory tool-- 2. Redescription+- 3. Generative representation

sites of sociality

Sociality influences ecological knowledge Q: in idiosyncratic and transient ways or producing systematic patterns? Opening Up/Out

or realms extension: do not assume that complexity can be partitioned into systems or realms, in the sense of units that have clearly defined boundaries, coherent internal dynamics, and simply mediated relations with their external context

Sociality influences ecological knowledge....producing systematic patterns: -> Q: What kind of agent & practices could produce such patterns? -> Q: Can awareness of this be fed back into ecological knowledge in productive ways?

3. Social-Personal-Scientific correlations In the origins of systems ecology H. T. Odum theorized ecological complexity in terms of energy circuits with feedback 1950s & 60s “technocratic optimism” => he was able able to act as if ecological complexity were systems and circuits

Odum = a person who wanted the overlapping realms he inhabited— the social, personal, & scientific— to reinforce each other, so that efforts made and directions pursued in one realm did not undermine those made in the others.

4. Construction from heterogeneous resources diverse interconnections in practice among "technical" tasks of scientists & "social" considerations that influence how scientists perform these tasks -> Q: How difficult is it in practice to modify what is established as knowledge?

4. Construction from heterogeneous resources probing difficulty of change exposes webs of heterogeneous resources that scientists mobilize in their work => scientists' agency is distributed beyond their persons, not concentrated mentally inside them

het. constr. => multiplicity of specific sites at which researchers (& other agents) could engage differently in scientific practice and try to modify its outcomes Opening Up/Out Q: how to feed heterogeneous construction analysis back into research practice?

approach 1: conceptual & methodological entry points -> implications for practice

extension: do not assume that complexity can be partitioned into systems or realms, in the sense of units that have clearly defined boundaries, coherent internal dynamics, and simply mediated relations with their external context

approach 2: view concepts, method & practical considerations together from the start

5. Mapping workshops from interpreter of science conveying the full complexity of the researchers’ resources to researchers reflecting explicitly on their own sociality and how it affects their work

heterogeneous construction + practical reflexivity -> too much complexity?? = not useful in practice?

6. Framework to keep tensions active challenge of teaching non-specialist interdisciplinary classes -> approach accessible to a wide range of students -> cases & heuristics that are simple to convey, but point to greater complexity of particular cases & further work needed to study them

Three angles to view the practice of researchers as knowledge-makers: A. their study of complex situations B. their interactions with other social agents to establish what counts as knowledge C. their pursuit of social change through attention to the complexities of both the situations studied and the researchers’ own social situatedness

Angles on practice of researchers A. “dialogue” with situation studied B. interactions with other social agents to establish what counts as knowledge C. affecting social change through attention to the complexities of both the situations studied and the researchers’ own social situatedness

Formulations 1. simple, well-bounded systems work based on dynamics among particular entities/agents whose actions implicate or span a range of realms, which develop over time Angles on practice of researchers A. “dialogue” with situation studied B. interactions with other social agents to establish what counts as knowledge C. affecting social change through attention to the complexities of both the situations studied and the researchers’ own social situatedness

Formulations 1. simple, well-bounded systems 2. simple scenarios -> greater complexity & further work needed in particular cases 3. work based on dynamics among particular entities/agents whose actions implicate or span a range of realms, which develop over time Angles on practice of researchers A. “dialogue” with situation studied B. interactions with other social agents to establish what counts as knowledge C. affecting social change through attention to the complexities of both the situations studied and the researchers’ own social situatedness

Tensions active & productive Formulations: simple, easy to convey vs. particular complexity, multiple points of engagement Agency: concentrated vs. distributed Research: product vs. process

=... C3

=> C3. challenge of contributing to a culture of participatory restructuring of the distributed conditions of knowledge-making and social change Opening Up/Out

Recapitulation 2 problematize boundaries knowledge-making heterogeneous construction participatory restructuring

e.g., reliable scientific knowledge is context-invariant e.g., the significance of scientific results is settled by locally organized, embodied practices confounded by dynamics with which those realms interact in naturally variable & complex situations principles proposed for separated realms

Recapitulation 3 knowledge-making heterogeneous construction participatory restructuring Disciplining unruly complexity, without suppressing it “Intersecting Processes”

Recapitulation 3 knowledge-making heterogeneous construction participatory restructuring Linking knowledge making to changing diverse social relations “practical reflexivity” “distributed agency”

Recapitulation 3 knowledge-making heterogeneous construction participatory restructuring Wrestling with potential & limitations of conceptual exploration “active tensions” “opening-up heuristics”

open up addressing complexity...I am especially interested in conceptual moves that open up issues about addressing complexity, but do so in ways that point to further work that needs to be undertaken to deal with particular cases deal with particular cases…