Abstract:
Sustainability is a wicked problem that requires a transdisciplinary approach.
The defining characteristics of transdisciplinarity include collaborative,
creative, higher order thinking which transcends discipline
boundaries, the explicit contribution of an ethical or moral perspective
to problem resolution, and the generation of new knowledge and new
resolutions not available in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary environments.
These characteristics align well with theories on transformative
learning and Wilber’s theories on consciousness evolution. However
we need ways to translate this thinking into practice. Soft systems
methodology could provide this practical element, but does not necessarily
emphasise transformative learning, or moral perspectives aligned
with sustainability i.e. valuing of ecologically restorative, socially just,
economically proitable resolutions. This paper explores how integration
of a transformative learning process with soft systems methodology
might provide a useful transdisciplinary approach to sustainability.
