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Baker, Daniel

Natural Resources

2007

PhD

Transdisciplinary action research asks academics, experts and specialists to join together in addressing the complex socio-ecological problems facing contemporary human society. On the most basic level, it asks individuals to acknowledge the world outside of their own discipline, and to be willing to integrate what they know with what others know in the pursuit of ecological social change. The papers included in this study consider how utilizing multiple sources of knowledge can contribute better understanding of real-world problems and offer opportunities for action. The first paper discusses the challenges of transferring appropriate technology from the United States to small rural producers in Honduras. The second paper in this series presents a service-learning model for ecological development. Application of this model is demonstrated through a case study in the third paper. Transdisciplinary action research may sound esoteric to some, but it is, in fact, critical pedagogy. When crisis arises, the cost of isolated, reductionist thinking come to the fore. The final paper considers how barriers in communication, coordination and information sharing contributed to the crisis in Hurricane Katrina. The papers included in this study highlight a number of approaches to transdisciplinary action research, including transfer of environmentally beneficial technologies, extension of the service-learning model over time, and through disaster response management. It is hoped that this research contributes to the further development of this integrated field.