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As comunidades sustentáveis intencionais como laboratórios de inovação social: análise de experiências europeias para uma transição sustentável
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Abstract(s)
O debate em torno das transições para a sustentabilidade consolidou a ideia de que as sociedades enfrentam desafios estruturais, transversais, complexos e multidimensionais, que exigem respostas articuladas em múltiplas escalas. As estruturas sociais tradicionais não se mostraram eficazes na resposta a esses desafios, como é o caso das alterações climáticas, e é, portanto, importante refletir sobre propostas que enfatizem essa ligação entre diferentes escalas e atores.
O objetivo da investigação que deu origem a esta tese, foi perceber se as Comunidades Sustentáveis Intencionais (CSIs), consideradas atores de base micro (ou nichos), podem contribuir para o processo de uma transição para modelos de desenvolvimento mais sustentáveis. Para isso, analisam-se as práticas de inovação social que se desenvolvem no nível micro e de que forma é que essas práticas, e o conhecimento que lhes está associado, podem ser disseminadas para contextos meso e macro.
Do ponto de vista teórico, as transições para a sustentabilidade são um processo que articula diferentes atores e diferentes níveis. Partindo deste princípio, o desenho metodológico é inspirado pela perspetiva multinível para permitir a análise entre os diferentes níveis. Foram utilizados métodos qualitativos e quantitativos, com recurso a duas técnicas de recolha de dados (inquérito por questionário e entrevistas semiestruturadas) e várias técnicas de análise (análise descritiva e multivariada, análise fatorial de componentes principais, análise de clusters, análise estrutural de redes sociais e análise de conteúdo). No questionário às CSIs da Europa foram validadas 108 repostas e as entrevistas semiestruturadas foram feitas a membros de 4 CSIs selecionadas como estudos de caso (22 entrevistas).
Os resultados revelam que estas CSIs desenvolvem práticas de inovação social de forma recorrente e que integram, embora de forma diferenciada, diferentes práticas de sustentabilidade no seu quotidiano. Apesar de disporem de mecanismos de reciprocidade para a transferência do conhecimento, a rede de CSIs na Europa tem uma densidade interna limitada e é excessivamente dependente de um número limitado de atores centrais. Os dados qualitativos evidenciaram a emergência de um conjunto de discursos que criticam o desenvolvimento sustentável e a sustentabilidade e que enfatizam a necessidade de refletir sobre novas propostas teóricas. Todos os entrevistados são unânimes em relação ao papel que estas CSIs podem desempenhar no processo de transição – enquanto laboratórios para o desenvolvimento de inovação e enquanto locais de demonstração e aprendizagem de boas práticas de sustentabilidade.
The debate around transitions towards sustainability has consolidated the idea that societies face structural, transversal, complex and multidimensional challenges that require articulated responses at multiple scales. Traditional social structures have not proved effective in responding to these challenges, as is the case of climate change. Therefore, it is important to reflect on proposals that emphasise this link between different scales and actors. The objective of the research that gave rise to this thesis was to understand whether Intentional Sustainable Communities (ISCs), considered micro-based actors (or niches), can contribute to the transition towards more sustainable development models. To this end, we analyse the social innovation practices that develop at the micro level and how these practices, and the knowledge associated with them, can be disseminated to meso and macro contexts. From a theoretical point of view, transitions towards sustainability are a process that articulates different agents and levels. Based on this principle, the methodological design is inspired by the multilevel perspective to allow the analysis between the different levels. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used, resorting to two data collection techniques (questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews) and several analysis techniques (descriptive and multivariate, principal component factor, clusters, structural analysis of social networks and content analysis). In the questionnaire to ISCs in Europe, 108 responses were validated, and the semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of 4 CSIs selected as case studies (22 interviews). The results reveal that these CSIs develop social innovation practices on a recurrent basis and integrate, albeit differently, different sustainability practices into their daily lives. Despite having reciprocity mechanisms for knowledge transfer, the network of ISCs in Europe has limited internal density and is overly dependent on a limited number of central actors. The qualitative data highlighted the emergence of discourses that criticise sustainable development and sustainability and emphasise the need to reflect on new theoretical proposals. All the interviewees are unanimous about the role these ISCs can play in the transition process - as laboratories for developing innovation and as places for demonstrating and learning good sustainability practices.
The debate around transitions towards sustainability has consolidated the idea that societies face structural, transversal, complex and multidimensional challenges that require articulated responses at multiple scales. Traditional social structures have not proved effective in responding to these challenges, as is the case of climate change. Therefore, it is important to reflect on proposals that emphasise this link between different scales and actors. The objective of the research that gave rise to this thesis was to understand whether Intentional Sustainable Communities (ISCs), considered micro-based actors (or niches), can contribute to the transition towards more sustainable development models. To this end, we analyse the social innovation practices that develop at the micro level and how these practices, and the knowledge associated with them, can be disseminated to meso and macro contexts. From a theoretical point of view, transitions towards sustainability are a process that articulates different agents and levels. Based on this principle, the methodological design is inspired by the multilevel perspective to allow the analysis between the different levels. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used, resorting to two data collection techniques (questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews) and several analysis techniques (descriptive and multivariate, principal component factor, clusters, structural analysis of social networks and content analysis). In the questionnaire to ISCs in Europe, 108 responses were validated, and the semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of 4 CSIs selected as case studies (22 interviews). The results reveal that these CSIs develop social innovation practices on a recurrent basis and integrate, albeit differently, different sustainability practices into their daily lives. Despite having reciprocity mechanisms for knowledge transfer, the network of ISCs in Europe has limited internal density and is overly dependent on a limited number of central actors. The qualitative data highlighted the emergence of discourses that criticise sustainable development and sustainability and emphasise the need to reflect on new theoretical proposals. All the interviewees are unanimous about the role these ISCs can play in the transition process - as laboratories for developing innovation and as places for demonstrating and learning good sustainability practices.
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Keywords
Comunidades sustentáveis intencionais Inovação social Transições sustentáveis Desenvolvimento sustentável Métodos quantitativos Métodos qualitativos