Format/Structure

This will be a paper panel and we ask that presenters both introduce their project and methods, as well as reflect on strengths and weaknesses.

Long Abstract

In this panel we seek papers that outline and analyse how principles of citizen science can advance non-extractive research methods and enhance environmental policy making. We are interested in how principles of citizen science or co-production support political ecology “to promote inclusion, interrogate power relations and hegemonic knowledge systems” (Vincent, 2022:730; see also Kesby et al., 2013: Kesby, 2007; Kindon et al., 2007; Moreno-Tabarez et al., 2023) and deepen political ecology’s foundational relationship with activists and local communities.

In short, we want to learn from projects that prioritize collaborative, participatory, co-productive methodological work, as well as empirically grounded reflections on environmental policies that arise directly from citizen science (prioritising the involvement of social movements).

This will be a paper panel and we invite critical contributions on:

i. citizen science and conflict, including but not limited to litigation, the exposure of corporate social irresponsibility strategies and practices, blindfolded and biased enforcement.

ii. the use of citizen science methods for communication purposes by activists, reflections on the relation between citizens, scientists and technologists, and the funding structures motivating many citizen science projects.

iii. how citizen science and co-production can contribute to decolonizing political ecology research.

iv. the different roles for citizens in research, for example in project governance, data collection, data analysis and dissemination.

v. how technologies such as smart phones, drones or water quality instruments enable communities to collect data and monitor environmental harms.

vi. The different kinds of methods that can be used in a political ecology approach, such as visual methods as a route to better acknowledging plural place-based knowledges.

This Panel has 16 pending paper proposals.
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