Does sustainability emerge from the relationships between scales?

Presentation


Bender, Helena and Judith, Kate. 2012. "Does sustainability emerge from the relationships between scales?" 3rd International Sustainability Conference: Strategies for Sustainability: Institutional and Organisational Challenges. Basel, Switzerland 29 - 31 Aug 2012 Basel, Switzerland.
Paper/Presentation Title

Does sustainability emerge from the relationships between scales?

Presentation TypePresentation
AuthorsBender, Helena and Judith, Kate
Journal or Proceedings TitleProceedings of the 3rd International Sustainability Conference: Strategies for Sustainability: Institutional and Organisational Challenges
Year2012
Place of PublicationBasel, Switzerland
Conference/Event3rd International Sustainability Conference: Strategies for Sustainability: Institutional and Organisational Challenges
Event Details
3rd International Sustainability Conference: Strategies for Sustainability: Institutional and Organisational Challenges
Event Date
29 to end of 31 Aug 2012
Event Location
Basel, Switzerland
Abstract

Sustainability has become a ‘catch all’ term that has been attached to products, processes, companies and movements, but may be losing any relevance to society in the process. As Norton (2005) points out, the conceptual and linguistic framework within which sustainability is understood is important. We apply systems thinking and emergence theory and take into account the importance of scale to present an integrated way of thinking about sustainability that identifies a point of interaction where policy and discussion might be better directed.
We consider sustainability as an emergent quality of a system that occurs when the interactions within the system and between the system and its environment are nourishing. This conception is useful for three key reasons: it indicates the kinds of relationships individual humans and human groups need to be engaged in at the micro level; it provides a guide for the monitoring functions that might be needed at a macro level to recognise emergent patterns; and most importantly, it places emphasis ultimately neither upon the micro or the macro scales but upon the relationship between these two. By drawing attention to the interaction between the two we seek to stimulate discussion on how these best can speak to each other and facilitate the emergence of sustainability.
Systems thinking illuminates two key aspects that help in thinking about sustainability: boundaries and relationships. Thinking of sustainability as a quality of a system highlights the boundaries we draw, the negotiation we undertake between reality and our efforts to describe and understand it, as well as the interactions between and within systems that need to be nourishing and nourished. It is through these multitudes of nourishing interactions that we believe sustainability emerges. Nourishment in this context is the active support of a system by its environment and the elements within it so that it may persist, like the active role of muscles in holding a pose. Emergence theory tells us that it is through interactions at a micro scale, between elements of a system and without control from above, that emergent properties may occur. Emergence however, can only be detected at the scale above where the individual interactions are occurring. Hence, the relationship between sub and super systems is a critical focal point for thinking about sustainability.
There are two processes to consider as we engage with this model of sustainability: those that are required to support emergence, and those that are required to ensure that the emergence leads to sustainability. Emergence is fostered by complexity, risk, and reduced control from above. For sustainability to emerge, the interactions between and within systems need to be nourishing, and some form of feedback or monitoring is needed to assess whether this is being achieved.
Emergence is more likely to occur in a system with greater diversity and complexity where there is more interacting and sharing of information and minimal outside control. The outcomes from such interactions are unknown and may be perceived as chaotic and risky (Miller 2010). However, it is through risk taking that we discover new and unexpected outcomes or pathways. Some recent examples in science show how, by trying experiments that were expected to fail new discoveries that challenged accepted theories were discovered. Examples include Nobel gases that react despite all earlier predictions (Hargittai 2009), and spontaneous reactions that go in both directions despite the second law of thermodynamics predicting that they should only go in one (Tabony 2006). If we reduce our desire for security we create the freedom for alternatives, including sustainability, to emerge from an evolution of interactions. We judge if an emergent property is sustainable or not depending on whether the risks are beneficial or harmful. Consequently a closer look at the human decision making system is a critical part of this model.
In human decision-making systems there is a similar need for diverse contributors and opportunities for risk to facilitate the possibility of emergent outcomes. Emergence is more likely when each individual makes decisions based on the information they gather about their local environment and relative changes (Johnson 2003). We think looking for some measure of nourishment will be one way to establish whether sustainability is an emergent outcome. Nourishment will primarily occur at the micro level but those doing the nourishing and within the system, are unlikely to be able to judge whether their actions are resulting in sustainable outcomes. Monitoring at the macro scale is where sustainability is likely to be detected and feedback to the micro scale will facilitate whether current practices continue or are changed. So, to foster sustainability, not only do we need room for risk taking but a framework that is responsive to whether nourishment can be detected at a macro scale.
There appears to be a tension between what is needed at the micro scale and the role of the macro scale. The micro scale needs risk and diversity for the possibility of sustainability to emerge. The macro scale is needed to detect the emergent patterns and provide feedback, but if it begins to play a directive role, emergence may be stifled. Emergence theory suggests that the best kind of relationship between the micro and macro levels is one where the macro level merely monitors and provides information, so that individuals and groups at the micro level can be informed but autonomous in their actions. This is risky and in conflict with current practices. The act of monitoring and feedback is important, but where should the decision making take place? How to manage and care for this interactive space between the scales is the challenge we are posing to the sustainability community.
For the emergence to focus towards sustainability the conversation between micro and macro must remain open and vigorous to both enable risk taking and ensure that the risks are targeted towards nourishment. This paper will look further at this space and pose the questions that we think need further exploration if this model is accepted as a possible path towards emerging sustainability.

Hargittai, I. 2009. Neil Bartlett and the first noble-gas compound. Structural Chemistry, 20(6): 953-959.
Johnson, S. 2002. Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities and Software. Penguin.
Miller, Peter. 2010. Smart Swarm: using animal behaviour to organise our world. Harper Collins, Australia.
Norton, B. 2005. Sustainability: a philosophy of adaptive ecosystem management. University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.
Tabony, J. 2006. Historical and conceptual background of self-organization by reactive processes. Biology of the cell, 98: 589-602.

Keywordssustainability
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020419999. Other environmental sciences not elsewhere classified
500304. Environmental philosophy
Public Notes

No evidence of copyright restrictions preventing deposit.

Byline AffiliationsUniversity of Melbourne
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q19v5/does-sustainability-emerge-from-the-relationships-between-scales

Download files


Accepted Version
Bender_Judith_ISC2012_AV.pdf
File access level: Anyone

Bender_Judith_ISC2012_PPT_AV.ppt
File access level: Anyone

  • 1868
    total views
  • 224
    total downloads
  • 2
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Reframing Decision-Making Criteria Around More-Than-Human Vulnerabilities
Judith, Kate. 2024. "Reframing Decision-Making Criteria Around More-Than-Human Vulnerabilities." Traces of Extinction: Species Loss, Solastalgia, and Semiotics of Recovery. Tartu, Estonia 05 - 07 Jun 2024 Estonia.
Review Essay: Postcolonial Literatures and Climate Change by Russell McDougall, John C. Ryan, and Pauline Reynolds, eds.
Judith, Kate. 2024. "Review Essay: Postcolonial Literatures and Climate Change by Russell McDougall, John C. Ryan, and Pauline Reynolds, eds." Ecozon@: European journal of literature, culture and the environment. 15 (1), pp. 247-252. https://doi.org/10.37536/ECOZONA.2024.15.1.5259
Using a five-phase applied linguistics design to develop a contextualized academic literacy placement test for pre-university pathway students
Green, Jonathan H., Davis, Charmaine, Harmes, Marcus, Judith, Kate and Weideman, Albert. 2024. "Using a five-phase applied linguistics design to develop a contextualized academic literacy placement test for pre-university pathway students." Literacy Research and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388071.2024.2340031
A Three-Step Framework for Assessment Design for Academic Integrity
Balloo, Kieran, Judith, Kate, Padro, Fernando, Park, Sang-Soon and Chang, Heejin. 2023. "A Three-Step Framework for Assessment Design for Academic Integrity." 2023 Australasian Academic Integrity Network Forum. 22 - 22 Sep 2023 Australia.
Assessment design to support sound academic integrity practices for Pathways students
Judith, Kate, Balloo, Kieran, Chang,Heejin, Park, Sang-Soon and Padro, Fernando. 2023. "Assessment design to support sound academic integrity practices for Pathways students." A New Agenda for Pathways Education and Research Colloquium. University of Southern Queensland 26 - 26 Oct 2023
UniSQ College’s Focused Learning Mode: Democracy, dilemma and decisions
Judith, Kate and Green, Jonathan. 2023. "UniSQ College’s Focused Learning Mode: Democracy, dilemma and decisions." A New Agenda for Pathways Education and Research Colloquium. University of Southern Queensland 26 - 26 Oct 2023 Australia.
In-between like a Mangrove
Judith, Kate. 2023. "In-between like a Mangrove." Morcambe Bay Milieux: Aqueous Futures Conference. Morcambe, United Kingdom 06 - 08 Sep 2023 United Kingdom.
The Other Alongside: Suburban Mangroves and the Postcolonial Swampy Gothic
Judith, Kate. 2023. "The Other Alongside: Suburban Mangroves and the Postcolonial Swampy Gothic." Craven, Allison and Sandars, Diana (ed.) Gothic in the Oceanic South: Maritime, Marine and Aquatic Uncanny in Southern Waters. United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 49-61
The Colonial Kangaroo Hunt by Ken Gelder and Rachel Weaver
Judith, Kate. 2023. "The Colonial Kangaroo Hunt by Ken Gelder and Rachel Weaver." Limina: a journal of historical and cultural studies. 28 (1), pp. 38-39.
Exploring Interstitiality with Mangroves: Semiotic Materialism and the Environmental Humanities
Judith, Kate. 2023. Exploring Interstitiality with Mangroves: Semiotic Materialism and the Environmental Humanities. United Kingdom. Routledge.
Readings from Continent Aflame: Kate Judith reads Errinundra Shimmer
Judith, Kate. 2020. Readings from Continent Aflame: Kate Judith reads Errinundra Shimmer. Melbourne, Australia.
Sharing the Field: Reflections of More-Than-Human Field/work Encounters
Marr, Natalie, Lantto, Mirjami, Larsen, Maia, Judith, Kate, Brice, Sage, Phoenix, Jessica, Oliver, Catherine, Mason, Olivia and Thomas, Sarah. 2022. "Sharing the Field: Reflections of More-Than-Human Field/work Encounters." GeoHumanities. 8 (2), pp. 555-585. https://doi.org/10.1080/2373566X.2021.2016467
Digital Technologies in Nature
Webber, Sarah, Oliver, Jessica, Smith, Wally, Bender, Helena, Vella, Kellie, Brereton, Margot, Davies, Alasdair, Hoy, Julia and Judith, Kate. 2021. "Digital Technologies in Nature." 8th International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI' 2021). Bloomington, United States 08 - 11 Nov 2021 New York, United States. https://doi.org/10.1145/3493842.3493885
Performing and interpreting scalarity
Judith, Kate. 2021. "Performing and interpreting scalarity." Nga tohu o te huarere: Conversations Beyond Human Scales: 8th ASLEC-ANZ Conference Aotearoa 2021. Wellington, New Zealand 23 - 26 Nov 2021
The estuary framed and reframed: enabling multi-perspectival epistemologies in research methodology
Judith, Kate. 2021. "The estuary framed and reframed: enabling multi-perspectival epistemologies in research methodology." 27th University of Southern Queensland Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Group Research Symposium. Toowoomba, Australia 18 Jun 2021 Toowoomba, Australia.
The other alongside: suburban mangroves and the postcolonial lean of the swampy gothic
Judith, Kate. 2021. "The other alongside: suburban mangroves and the postcolonial lean of the swampy gothic." Returning to the Gothic Ocean: Maritime, Marine and Aquatic Uncanny in Southern Waters (2021). Townsville, Australia 12 Feb 2021 Townsville, Australia.
Leakage as resistance along Cooks River
Judith, Kate. 2021. "Leakage as resistance along Cooks River." 2021 American Comparative Literature Association Annual Meeting: Leaky Ontologies. United States 08 - 11 Apr 2021 United States.
Tidal time and the mud archive
Judith, Kate. 2021. "Tidal time and the mud archive." 2nd International Temporal Belongings Conference: The Material Life of Time. Edinburgh, Scotland 15 - 17 Mar 2021 Edinburgh, Scotland.
Australian wetland cultures by JC Ryan & L Chen and Ecocritical concerns and the Australian continent by B Neumeier & H Tiffin
Judith, Kate. 2021. "Australian wetland cultures by JC Ryan & L Chen and Ecocritical concerns and the Australian continent by B Neumeier & H Tiffin." Green Letters: Studies in Ecocriticism. 24 (4). https://doi.org/10.1080/14688417.2021.1932101
How Mangroves Story: On Being a Filter Feeder
Judith, Kate. 2020. "How Mangroves Story: On Being a Filter Feeder." Swamphen: A Journal of Cultural Ecology. 7, pp. 1-10.
Thinking the gap with the mangroves of Sydney
Judith, Kate. 2018. "Thinking the gap with the mangroves of Sydney." Emergent Landscapes Symposium: Exploring Social-Ecological Interdisciplinarity (2018). Melbourne, Australia 08 Feb 2018 Melbourne, Australia.
Parasites and hosts in the mangrove wrack zone
Judith, Kate. 2018. "Parasites and hosts in the mangrove wrack zone." Wrackzone (ALECC 2018). Victoria, Canada 20 - 23 Jun 2018
Walls and human exceptionalism
Judith, Kate. 2018. "Walls and human exceptionalism." Space Race Bodies III: Walls. Dunedin, New Zealand 30 Jun - 01 Jul 2018 Dunedin, New Zealand.
Mosquitoes and city mangroves: monsters of many margins
Judith, Kate. 2018. "Mosquitoes and city mangroves: monsters of many margins." Quite Frankly It's a Monster Conference (2018). Perth, Australia 17 - 19 Oct 2018
Messing with methods in mud with pigs and mangroves
Judith, Kate and Ahlberger Le Dunff, Helene. 2018. "Messing with methods in mud with pigs and mangroves." 4S Sydney: TRANSnational STS: Society for Social Studies of Science Annual Conference 2018. Sydney, Australia 29 Aug - 01 Sep 2018 Sydney, Australia.
Including non-humans in research
Judith, Kate. 2018. "Including non-humans in research." 'Practicing the Humanities: a postgraduate conference (2018). Sydney, Australia 27 Sep 2018
Errinundra Shimmer
Judith, Kate. 2020. "Errinundra Shimmer." Anderson, Pat, Gardner, Sally, James, Paul and Komesaroff, Paul (ed.) Continent Aflame: Perspectives to an Australian Catastrophe. Australia. Palaver Press. pp. 95-97
Open educational practices in Australia: a first-phase national audit of higher education
Stagg, Adrian, Nguyen, Linh, Bossu, Carina, Partridge, Helen, Funk, Johanna and Judith, Kate. 2018. "Open educational practices in Australia: a first-phase national audit of higher education." The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning. 19 (3), pp. 172-201. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i3.3441
Assessing the potential for openness: a framework for examining course-level OER implementation in higher education
Judith, Kate and Bull, David. 2016. "Assessing the potential for openness: a framework for examining course-level OER implementation in higher education." Education Policy Analysis Archives. 24 (42). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.24.1931
Does sustainability emerge from between the scales?
Bender, Helena and Judith, Kate. 2015. "Does sustainability emerge from between the scales?" Emergence: Complexity and Organization. 17 (1). https://doi.org/10.emerg/10.17357.69fc4cb80d37cf839b28994be1b20259
Conflicting conceptualisations of cultural identity within Australian public policy debate
Judith, Kate. 2015. "Conflicting conceptualisations of cultural identity within Australian public policy debate." International Conference on Intercultural Competence in Communication and Education (ICCEd2015) (2015). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 08 - 09 Mar 2015 Malaysia.
Strategies for implementing open licensed resources: a review of case studies
Judith, Kate. 2014. "Strategies for implementing open licensed resources: a review of case studies." USQ Open Education Week 2014. Toowoomba, Australia 22 Oct 2014 Toowoomba, Australia.
Enabling openness at USQ
Bull, David and Judith, Kate. 2014. "Enabling openness at USQ." Australian National Symposium on Open Educational Resources (OER 2014). Hobart, Tasmania 04 - 05 Nov 2014 Hobart, Tasmania.
The opportunities and challenges for enabling education: implementing Open Educational Practices (OEP)
Judith, Kate and Bull, David. 2013. "The opportunities and challenges for enabling education: implementing Open Educational Practices (OEP)." 3rd National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia Conference (NAEEA 2013): Flexibility: Pathways to Participation. Melbourne, Australia 27 - 29 Nov 2013 Toowoomba, Australia.
Sustainability, emergence and the graduate attribute of global citizenship
Judith, Kate and Bender, Helena. 2013. "Sustainability, emergence and the graduate attribute of global citizenship." 19th International Conference of the Society for Human Ecology (SHE 2013): Decision that Work. Canberra, Australia 04 - 08 Feb 2013
Life of Galileo
Judith, Kate, Malone, Peter and Mason, Chris. 2012. "Life of Galileo." Encountering conflict. Melbourne, Australia. National Educational Advancement Programs (Neap) Pty Ltd. pp. 8-16
Death of a Salesman
Judith, Kate. 2013. "Death of a Salesman." Judith, Kate, Doyle, Andrew and Brunton, Alsion (ed.) Whose reality?. Melbourne, Australia. National Educational Advancement Programs (Neap) Pty Ltd. pp. 23-29
Jindabyne
Judith, Kate. 2009. "Jindabyne." Tibby, Jane, Doyle, Andrew and Judith, Kate (ed.) The imaginative landscape. Melbourne, Australia. National Educational Advancement Programs (Neap) Pty Ltd. pp. 25-38
Don't start me talking: lyrics 1984-2004 - Paul Kelly
Judith, Kate. 2005. Don't start me talking: lyrics 1984-2004 - Paul Kelly. Melbourne, Australia. National Educational Advancement Programs (Neap) Pty Ltd.
The Quiet American
Judith, Kate. 2011. "The Quiet American." Judith, Kate, Mason, Chris, Thompson, Tony and Malone, Peter (ed.) Encountering conflict. Melbourne, Australia. National Educational Advancement Programs (Neap) Pty Ltd. pp. 33-40
Paradise Road
Judith, Kate. 2010. "Paradise Road." Judith, Kate, Malone, Peter, Morgan, Chris and Thompson, Tony (ed.) Encountering conflict. Melbourne, Australia. National Educational Advancement Programs (Neap) Pty Ltd. pp. 8-14
Spies
Judith, Kate. 2010. "Spies." Brunton, Alison, Judith, Kate, Richards, Ann and Sherwin, Rosemary (ed.) Whose reality?. Melbourne, Australia. National Educational Advancement Programs (Neap) Pty Ltd. pp. 16-23
Omagh
Judith, Kate. 2007. "Omagh." Mason, Chris, Judith, Kate, Morgan, Chris and Thompson, Tony (ed.) Encountering conflict. Melbourne, Australia. National Educational Advancement Programs (Neap) Pty Ltd. pp. 9-22
Sustainability: from systems to emergence
Bender, Helena and Judith, Kate. 2012. "Sustainability: from systems to emergence." 5th Annual International ESP Conference: Ecosystems Services Come of Age: Linking Science, Policy and Participation for Sustainable Human Well-Being. Portland, United States 31 Jul - 04 Aug 2012
Sustainability: a model for the future
Bender, Helena, Judith, Kate and Beilin, Ruth. 2012. "Sustainability: a model for the future." Bender, Helena (ed.) Reshaping environments: an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability in a complex world. Cambridge, United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press. pp. 305-334
Understanding research methodology
Judith, Kate. 2012. "Understanding research methodology." Bender, Helena (ed.) Reshaping environments: an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability in a complex world. Cambridge, United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press. pp. 242-255
Conceptualisations of cultural identity in the Cronulla riots debate: one concept, four theorists, one text
Judith, Kate. 2007. Conceptualisations of cultural identity in the Cronulla riots debate: one concept, four theorists, one text. Masters Thesis Master of Education. Monash University.