Cultures of transformation: An integrated framework for transformative action
Researchers from PARIS REINFORCE (PR), led by the Climate Change Policy Group's (CCPG) Dr Hannah Parris, have just published a new analysis in Environmental Science & Policy. The CCPG's Dr Annela Anger-Kraavi was also a co-author on this paper.
In order to combat climate change, societies will have to undergo drastic transformations. Typically, initiatives that set out to incite such transformations have focused on technological developments, adaptation and diffusion - neglecting important social and cultural dimensions of transformations. These behavioural-orientated dimensions, however, can offer invaluable insights into the nature of transformations.
This is what led Dr Parris and colleagues to develop and present the transdisciplinary Transformation Process Framework (TPF). The TPF is designed to be used as a knowledge integration tool, supporting the co-design process for transformative change.
Parris's Framework pairs psychological approaches to understanding behavioural change, builds upon the complementarities between alternative approaches in transitions literature, and supports researchers and practitioners in moving towards a more systematic and contextualised perspective of transformation practices.
By developing narrative of the transformational changes required to combat climate change the TPF can serve as a much needed tool to support the exploration of relevant academic (and other) literature. In doing so, the TPF can act as an important synthesis guide to integrate the wealth of knowledge in support of implementing transformations across multiple scales and agents in an easily accessible and comprehensible format.
This work originated in, and benefited from, invaluable discussions with multiple research and non-governmental organisations. By establishing such detailed collaboration, it allows transformation practitioners to use the TPF to explore relevant academic research, whilst enabling academics to ensure that theoretical questions surrounding transformations are shaped by the lived experience of practitioners and stakeholders.
Parris, H., Sorman, A. H., Valor, C., Tuerk, A. and Anger-Kraavi, A. (2022). Cultures of transformation: An integrated framework for transformative action. Environmental Science & Policy, 132, pp.24-34.
Read the full paper on Environmental Science & Policy.