Nonstandard lessons from the 'tragedy of the commons:

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Non-standard lessons from the 'tragedy of the
commons From systems to intersecting processes
Peter Taylor Univ. Massachusetts Boston Critical
Creative Thinking Science, Technology
Values Education for Sustainability peter.t
aylor_at_umb.edu www.faculty.umb.edu/pjt
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Classroom activity
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From Systems to Intersecting Processes
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Social and environmental change are analyzed as
something produced by intersecting economic,
social and ecological processes operating across
different scales.
These processes transgress boundaries and
restructure "internal" dynamics, thus ensuring
that socio-environmental situations do not have
clearly defined boundaries and are not simply
governed by coherent, internally-driven dynamics.
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1. Intersecting processes involve inseparable
dynamics 2. The account represents agency as
distributed across different kinds of agents and
scale. 3. The account has an intermediate
complexity. 4. Intermediate complexity
accounts favor the idea of multiple, smaller
engagements linked together within the
intersecting processes. 5. Intersecting
processes accounts highlight the need for
trans-disciplinary work grounded in particular
locations. 6. Intermediate complexity
preserves a role for some kind of social
scientific generalization.
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Syllabus topics systems -gt intersecting
processes Constructions of nature Conservation
and early C20 colonialism, patriarchy, and
eugenics Post-WW II ecology systems and
selfishness Human ecology adapted or
ambiguous? Nomadic pastoralism a key subject of
research and of development Local knowledge
adapted, flexible, or vulnerable? Political
ecology economics intersects with
ecology Insights from understanding
peasantries Construction of commodities and the
gendered politics of production in
agroecology Euro-centric environmentalism and
coercive conservation The politics of
participation in eco-development The
collaborative generation of environmental
knowledge and inquiry Theory and discourse
difficulties and ironies