The STEPS Centre pathways approach
What is the pathways approach?
Our unique new ‘pathways’ approach aims to understand the complex, non-linear interactions between social, technological and environmental systems. Some pathways may threaten poor peoples’ livelihoods and health while others create opportunities for sustainability.
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STEPS Centre Approach Paper
Pathways to Sustainability: an overview of the STEPS Centre approach (pdf 694kb)
By Melissa Leach, Ian Scoones and Andy Stirling
This paper outlines the STEPS Centre approach to understanding dynamic systems and addressing thier goverance so as to promote pathways to Sustainabilty that meet the perspectives and priorities of poor and marginalised groups. It lays out the ingredients of the STEPS Centre's work, including linking diverse social and natural science perspectives, connecting theory, policy and practice and an engaged, interactive approach to communications
This work is licenced under a
Creative Commons Licence.
Pathways - initial ideas
We are developing the pathways approach. Strong convergances from our first Working Papers include:
- An emphasis on understanding complex dynamics - including attention to non-equilibrial processes and interactions across multiple scales.
- The value of a systems approach - conceptualising interactions in terms of social-technological-ecological systems - and of a particular STEPS 'Systems heuristic' diagram, while also attending to the significance of actors and agency.
- A normative positioning in relation to the goals of poverty reduction and social justice, expressed in terms of the need to recognise not just sustainability (the maintenance of system properties in general) but also specific Sustainabilities (properties values by particular people and social groups).
- Attention to framings, recognising that understandings of systems and their dynamics, and definitions of sustainability, poverty and social justice, are socially and politically positioned.
- Interest in the potential of deliberative, adaptive, and inclusive approaches to governance and design, and emphasis on the importance of reflexivity - in response not just to uncertain dynamics, but also to diverse framings.
