I've heard this week @ESG_Project #ESG2021 that Leverage Points are mechanistic. I’d like to offer a rebuttal: LPs help us to integrate knowledge framings and grapple with complexity in systems change for #transformation 1/9
There are high profile papers (I wont link here!) that have reduced LPs to a mechanistic understanding. These are well cited and pop up everywhere (and make me sad inside). But that’s a limitation of the use, NOT the concept itself. 2/9
Here are some alternatives that deal with complexity and help us to ‘dance’ with systems, as Meadows encouraged us to do.donellameadows.org/archives/danci… 3/9
Our (@hengenlang)entire special issue grapples with complexity. Our editorial would be a good place to start and locate more papers!. We give you 9 reflective questions to dance with. link.springer.com/article/10.100… 4/9
Within this issue, you could read Davelaar, taking a critical look at framings of leverage points as a metaphor, and reshaping our systems metaphors – from icebergs to onions. link.springer.com/article/10.100… 5/9
And @AnnasQuestions paper from a practitioner perspective, where she absolutely is not reductive, but grapples with how framings help deal with complexity in practice. link.springer.com/article/10.100… 6/9
In dealing with complexity, leverage points, far from being mechanistic, can be a useful boundary object or structuring framework to bring together perspectives, problem framings and knowledge types @MarajaRiechers @ideas4sust besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.10… 7/9
It can also be a useful way to unpack interventions or problem framings, and consider how they fit within dominant systems framings, or seek fundamental change @StephenWoroniec @JamilaHaider @SannaStalhammar . tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10… 8/9
I suspect there is something ironic to be said about epistemic justice and how the most visible e.g.s of LPs in academic literature are the reductionist/mechanical applications. But I implore you to resist writing off the concept on this basis... please. 9/9
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