This essay will critically analyse the notion of sustainability as a wicked problem by showing the congruencies between both concepts and examine the implications of wickedness on sustainability policies. It focuses on the applicability of participatory methods to address and manage its challenges, since they have been identified as a dominant approach in sustainability policy making in the literature.
Issues such as global warming, climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and increasing poverty are just a few of many other problems we are currently facing. Dooming projections about the future has inflamed the discourse on sustainability and resulted in ongoing debates and commentaries about its definition across varying disciplines, each elaborating different perspectives of the concept. Due to its complexity it has been argued that achieving sustainability represents a ‘wicked problem’, a term describing problems that are impossible to be solved, but can only tamed (Rittel and Webber, 1973). Some even argue, that significant sustainability issues are beyond the scope of wicked problems and distinguish these as ‘super wicked problems’.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Notion of Wicked Problems
3 Sustainability as a Wicked Problem
3.1 Indefinable and Non-Generalizable
3.2 Ambiguously Bounded
3.3 Temporally Exacting
3.4 Repercussive
3.5 Doubly Hermeneutic
3.6 Morally Consequential
4 The Implications of Wickedness on Sustainability Policy-Making
5 Concluding Words
Research Objectives and Themes
This essay critically analyzes the concept of sustainability as a "wicked problem" by examining the congruencies between these two notions and evaluating the implications for policy-making. It further explores how participatory methods can be effectively applied to manage these complex challenges.
- Theoretical framing of wicked problems in social and political systems.
- Evaluation of sustainability characteristics as manifestations of wickedness.
- Challenges in sustainability policy-making and the role of stakeholders.
- Case study analysis: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a practical application.
- Importance of transdisciplinary and collaborative strategies for policy success.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Ambiguously Bounded
The concept of sustainability considers environmental, social, and economical facets as three fundamental dimensions (Elkington, 2013). Studies investigated the connection and causal relationships between the different pillars. Hansmann et al. (2012) found, that improvements in one area of sustainability often stimulate positive changes in another. Their investigation also shows that by striving to realize sustainability objectives in one of the pillars, conflicts between the three dimensions can be created. However, the scope and effects of the causal relationships are dependent on the context in which they exist (Hosseini and Kaneko, 2012), linking to the uniqueness of each sustainability problem.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Introduces the urgency of sustainability issues and positions them within the scholarly discourse of "wicked problems."
2 The Notion of Wicked Problems: Defines the theoretical background of wicked problems as ill-defined, complex issues that contrast with solvable "tame problems."
3 Sustainability as a Wicked Problem: Analyzes how the core characteristics of sustainability align with the six defined criteria of a wicked problem.
3.1 Indefinable and Non-Generalizable: Discusses the impossibility of a final, universally accepted definition of sustainability.
3.2 Ambiguously Bounded: Explains how the three pillars of sustainability are interconnected, creating context-dependent and unique problem settings.
3.3 Temporally Exacting: Highlights the lack of an ideal state and the necessity for constant re-examination instead of definitive solutions.
3.4 Repercussive: Examines how subjective perspectives and interconnected systems mean that sustainability solutions can trigger further complex problems.
3.5 Doubly Hermeneutic: Addresses how changing social dynamics and individual perceptions continuously reshape sustainability problems.
3.6 Morally Consequential: Explores the moral dilemmas arising from conflicts between long-term sustainability and short-term human interests.
4 The Implications of Wickedness on Sustainability Policy-Making: Evaluates how policy-makers can address wicked problems through participatory governance and interdisciplinary approaches.
5 Concluding Words: Summarizes the need for a paradigm shift in policy-making to move toward more adaptive and collaborative management strategies.
Keywords
Sustainability, Wicked Problems, Policy-Making, Participatory Methods, Marine Protected Areas, Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, Interdisciplinary, Social-Ecological Systems, Environmental Policy, Complexity, Conflict Management, Sustainable Development, Transdisciplinary, Collaborative Approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this publication?
The work examines the classification of sustainability as a "wicked problem," exploring why it is difficult to solve and what this means for environmental policy.
What is the core argument regarding sustainability?
The author argues that sustainability is a complex, ill-defined issue that cannot be solved with traditional analytical methods, but must be managed through adaptive and inclusive processes.
What characterizes a "wicked problem"?
Wicked problems are characterized by their indefinable nature, lack of clear boundaries, urgent time constraints, and the fact that they are not "one-shot" solvable problems.
Which methodology is discussed to address these problems?
The essay highlights participatory methods and interdisciplinary groups as dominant approaches to bridge the gap between scientific expertise and societal dynamics.
What is the role of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) example?
MPAs serve as a practical case study to illustrate the risks of top-down policy-making and the necessity of incorporating local stakeholder knowledge for success.
What are the main thematic fields covered?
The themes include scientific paradigm shifts, the multidimensional nature of sustainability, policy design challenges, and conflict management in public policy.
Why are MPAs often met with resistance from local communities?
Resistance often stems from a lack of appropriate governance that neglects local context and fails to account for adverse socio-economic impacts, such as loss of income.
How does the concept of "clumsy solutions" function in this context?
Clumsy solutions are proposed as a way to combine opposing stakeholder perspectives and resolve "uncomfortable knowledge" that is often ignored in policy design.
Is there a clear solution proposed for sustainability?
The text concludes that there is no final solution; rather, it demands a fundamental paradigm shift toward continuous adaptation and deliberative management of stakeholder involvement.
What is the significance of the "doubly hermeneutic" nature of these problems?
It means that the problems themselves evolve alongside society, requiring policy-makers to stay flexible as new interpretations and issues emerge over time.
- Citation du texte
- Giulia Isabelle Neuhaus (Auteur), 2019, Sustainability as a Wicked Problem. The Example of MPAs, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/991971
