Wie entfalten Reallabore Wirkung für die Transformation? Eine embedded-agency perspective zur Analyse von Wirkmechanismen in Reallaboren

Author(s)
Karoline Augenstein, Paula Maria Bögel, Meike Levin-Keitel, Helena Trenks
Abstract

The central concern of real-world lab research is the inter- and transdisciplinary generation of socially robust transformation knowledge. Despite the fact that real-world labs explore and study fundamental mechanisms of change, there are few approaches that deal with this question from a systematic, theoretical and methodological perspective. Concrete real-world lab projects should be able to live up to their claim as a central research mode, supporting sustainability transformations. Thus, approaches are required that foster a broader understanding of mechanisms of change in real-world labs. We find promising approaches that describe mechanisms of change along discipline-specific analytical and empirical scales. Key challenges are to develop analytical frameworks that integrate such approaches from different disciplines, and to identify mechanisms of change in a systematic and comprehensive way. In this article we present an embedded-agency perspective for analysing mechanisms of change in real-world labs and discuss the methodological implications. With the help of this analytical framework, real-world lab processes can be designed in such a way that relevant data is collected and transformative impacts can be assessed.

Organisation(s)
Department of Geography and Regional Research
External organisation(s)
Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Universität Vechta, Technische Universität Dortmund, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
Journal
GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society
Volume
31
Pages
207-214
No. of pages
8
ISSN
0940-5550
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.31.4.4
Publication date
2022
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
507012 Spatial structure
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Environmental Science (miscellaneous), Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous)
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/7203b18d-4239-4188-bcb3-42218dd982ef