Understanding adaptive capacity and capacity to innovate in social–ecological systems: applying a gender lens
Cohen, Philippa J., Lawless, Sarah, Dyer, Michelle, Morgan, Miranda, Saeni, Enly, Teioli, Helen, and Kantor, Paula (2016) Understanding adaptive capacity and capacity to innovate in social–ecological systems: applying a gender lens. Ambio, 45 (Supplement 3). pp. 309-321.
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Abstract
Development policy increasingly focuses on building capacities to respond to change (adaptation), and to drive change (innovation). Few studies, however, focus specifically on the social and gender differentiation of capacities to adapt and innovate. We address this gap using a qualitative study in three communities in Solomon Islands; a developing country, where rural livelihoods and well-being are tightly tied to agriculture and fisheries. We find the five dimensions of capacity to adapt and to innovate (i.e. assets, flexibility, learning, social organisation, agency) to be mutually dependant. For example, limits to education, physical mobility and agency meant that women and youth, particularly, felt it was difficult to establish relations with external agencies to access technical support or new information important for innovating or adapting. Willingness to bear risk and to challenge social norms hindered both women’s and men’s capacity to innovate, albeit to differing degrees. Our findings are of value to those aspiring for equitable improvements to well-being within dynamic and diverse social–ecological systems.
| Item ID: | 46501 |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 1654-7209 |
| Keywords: | agriculture; community development; fisheries; Pacific resilience |
| Additional Information: | This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. |
| Funders: | Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems |
| Projects and Grants: | ACIAR grant FIS/2012/074 |
| Date Deposited: | 13 Jan 2017 04:36 |
| FoR Codes: | 44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4407 Policy and administration > 440704 Environment policy @ 30% 45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4518 Pacific Peoples society and community > 451805 Pacific Peoples community and regional development @ 50% 44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4405 Gender studies > 440509 Women's studies (incl. girls' studies) @ 20% |
| SEO Codes: | 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970116 Expanding Knowledge through Studies of Human Society @ 50% 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970105 Expanding Knowledge in the Environmental Sciences @ 50% |
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