TY - JOUR
T1 - Transforming knowledge for sustainability
T2 - Towards adaptive academic institutions
AU - Miller, Thaddeus
AU - Muñoz-Erickson, Tischa
AU - Redman, Charles
PY - 2011/4/1
Y1 - 2011/4/1
N2 - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to argue that the types of and ways in which academic institutions produce knowledge are insufficient to contribute to a transition to sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: Reflecting on experiences at the School of Sustainability, the authors contend that a different kind of knowledge is needed, what we call sustainability knowledge. A conceptual approach is taken wherein the authors propose several characteristics of sustainability knowledge and offer some proposals on how academic institutions must be structured to produce it. Findings: Sustainability knowledge has several characteristics including social robustness, recognition of system complexity and uncertainty, acknowledgement of multiple ways of knowing and the incorporation of normative and ethical premises. In order to produce sustainability knowledge, the knowledge production process itself must be changed to be more adaptive and engaged with society. Two organizing characteristics for institutions seeking to produce such knowledge are proposed - epistemological pluralism and reflexivity. The adaptive cycle from resilience theory is then used as a heuristic to illustrate how these design characteristics play out in making the institution (and individual) more adaptive. Practical implications: As more academic institutions move to address sustainability, this paper does not offer a roadmap; rather, it raises important issues that must be addressed in performing research and education for sustainability. Originality/value: The paper shows that type of knowledge that academia must produce and how it might produce it are redefined for sustainability problems.
AB - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to argue that the types of and ways in which academic institutions produce knowledge are insufficient to contribute to a transition to sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: Reflecting on experiences at the School of Sustainability, the authors contend that a different kind of knowledge is needed, what we call sustainability knowledge. A conceptual approach is taken wherein the authors propose several characteristics of sustainability knowledge and offer some proposals on how academic institutions must be structured to produce it. Findings: Sustainability knowledge has several characteristics including social robustness, recognition of system complexity and uncertainty, acknowledgement of multiple ways of knowing and the incorporation of normative and ethical premises. In order to produce sustainability knowledge, the knowledge production process itself must be changed to be more adaptive and engaged with society. Two organizing characteristics for institutions seeking to produce such knowledge are proposed - epistemological pluralism and reflexivity. The adaptive cycle from resilience theory is then used as a heuristic to illustrate how these design characteristics play out in making the institution (and individual) more adaptive. Practical implications: As more academic institutions move to address sustainability, this paper does not offer a roadmap; rather, it raises important issues that must be addressed in performing research and education for sustainability. Originality/value: The paper shows that type of knowledge that academia must produce and how it might produce it are redefined for sustainability problems.
KW - Adaptability
KW - Knowledge creation
KW - Sustainable development
KW - Universities
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79955658521&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79955658521&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/14676371111118228
DO - 10.1108/14676371111118228
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79955658521
VL - 12
SP - 177
EP - 192
JO - International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
JF - International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
SN - 1467-6370
IS - 2
ER -