Keywords

adaptive management, feedbacks, gender inequality; wicked problem

Start Date

27-6-2018 3:40 PM

End Date

27-6-2018 5:00 PM

Abstract

Much has been written and said about gender inequality in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): documenting the phenomenon, proposing a myriad of causes, debating possible solutions, and, most frequently, asking why is progress so slow? In this study, we propose that gender inequality in STEM is not just one problem, but a collection of interconnected, poorly defined problems for which there are no definitive solutions. Sound familiar? The same challenges characterize other wicked problems, such as those faced in modelling and managing socio-ecological systems. Like ecosystem health, gender equality has multiple valid definitions and no single indicator of success. Not only is there no clear solution, there is also no one cause: both gender inequality and poor ecosystem health arise from feedbacks and interactions between processes across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Drawing on this analogy, we propose that the adaptive management cycle provides a suitable framework for tackling gender inequality in science, by navigating between the twin perils of oversimplification and drowning in complexity. The first step in adaptive management is modelling and understanding the system: defining which aspect of the problem is the priority, while recognizing the complex, fragmented nature of the issue, and the many (sometimes conflicting) values involved. In this transdisciplinary project, we argue that a similar approach is needed to cut through the current tangle, and define a clear path forward for tackling the issue of gender inequality in science.

Stream and Session

C14: Towards Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Collaboration in Environmental Modelling: Innovative Practices to Address Wicked Problems

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Jun 27th, 3:40 PM Jun 27th, 5:00 PM

An environmental modelling approach sheds new light on a thorny problem: gender inequality in science

Much has been written and said about gender inequality in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): documenting the phenomenon, proposing a myriad of causes, debating possible solutions, and, most frequently, asking why is progress so slow? In this study, we propose that gender inequality in STEM is not just one problem, but a collection of interconnected, poorly defined problems for which there are no definitive solutions. Sound familiar? The same challenges characterize other wicked problems, such as those faced in modelling and managing socio-ecological systems. Like ecosystem health, gender equality has multiple valid definitions and no single indicator of success. Not only is there no clear solution, there is also no one cause: both gender inequality and poor ecosystem health arise from feedbacks and interactions between processes across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Drawing on this analogy, we propose that the adaptive management cycle provides a suitable framework for tackling gender inequality in science, by navigating between the twin perils of oversimplification and drowning in complexity. The first step in adaptive management is modelling and understanding the system: defining which aspect of the problem is the priority, while recognizing the complex, fragmented nature of the issue, and the many (sometimes conflicting) values involved. In this transdisciplinary project, we argue that a similar approach is needed to cut through the current tangle, and define a clear path forward for tackling the issue of gender inequality in science.