1,721,190 research outputs found
Las ciencias desde la perspectiva del diálogo de saberes, la transdisciplinariedad y el diálogo intercientífico
Full text linkPromoting the Diversity of Worldviews
No full textIn this paper, for the case of a Bolivian community, we show some of the limitations of the dominant ethnolinguistic approaches to explain the correlations between cultural and biological diversity, namely in the role that local cultures can play to maintain and enhance biodiversity. Without questioning the ethical imperative of conserving the world languages as part of the diversity of life, along with the cultural and biological diversity, we propose a shift to an ontological approach for a more comprehensive understanding of the links between these different kinds of diversities
Estrategias de vida para 'vivir bien': Un enfoque conceptual intercultural en el Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia
No full textDesde nuestras ciencias al diálogo intercientífico para la sustentabilidad alimentaria y el desarrollo sustentable
Full text linkDecentralisation meets local complexity: conceptual entry points, field-level findings and insights gained
Full text linkThis article summarises and discusses eight case studies from Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Pakistan, India and Nepal that focus on the everyday realities of decentralisation. It recalls the mainstream arguments favouring decentralisation as a basic human right (i.e. to be able to participate in decision-making) and in a more utilitarian sense (i.e. decentralisation for development). The eight case studies support aspects of the mainstream; however, they also present new insights. To position these insights, the article deconstructs mainstream decentralisation discourses as based on a functionalist ontology, often leading to rather managerial and mechanistic approaches. To contrast such a functionalist position, three critical social science perspectives are introduced: the neo-Marxist view of the hegemonic state (including the notion of subalterns), Scott’s simplifying state techniques, and Midgal’s state-in-society approach. A reading of the case studies in this context highlights that decentralisation programmes often follow standardised procedures that encounter social, political, economic and ecological local complexities. Dimensions of these complexities are: already
ongoing contestations among social groups; conflicting expectations upon, and interpretations of, the meaning of decentralisation; and strategic handling of decentralisation as a resource – highlighting the importance of agency. The article concludes with the proposition that decentralisation is not primarily a managerial challenge (i.e. to introduce improved governance
mechanisms), but is inherently political, influenced by interests and agency, and thus contingent. The challenge for researchers and practitioners is to support adequate social processes that allow decentralisation to give local
complexities more room, without fuelling local competition over the scarce resources offered by decentralisation
Endogenous Development as a Social Learning Process
No full textThe author perceives endogenous development as a social learning process, which is constructed by all actors involved. To enhance social learning, a methodology called Autodidactic Learning for sustainability is used, in which the perception of both local actors and external actors are highlighted. Reflecting on differences, conflicts and common interests leads to highly motivated debate and shared reflection, which is almost identical with social learning, and flattens the usual hierarchy between local and external actors. The article shows that the energies generated through collective learning can trigger important technical, social and political changes, which take into account the multiple dimensions of local reality
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