Paper short abstract:

Reflexivity can help conservationists explore their own decisions on wicked problems. But is conservation becoming more self-aware? We offer examples of how proactive reflexivity is being done in conservation practice and science already. We also describe barriers, risks, and enabling conditions.

Paper long abstract:

Conservationists have been challenged to move beyond describing threats to nature to offering solutions. However, attempts at solutions often have complex costs, unintended consequences, and trade-offs with other social objectives, amounting to wicked problems that force conservationists to make subjective judgements on what is best. Our paper attends to the factors that influence those subjective judgements. We discuss how conservationists can themselves explore what they think and why, how they choose approaches to better contribute towards conservation and societal goals, or how they might re-evaluate those goals altogether.

Reflexivity – reflection within a specific context that leads to changes in perspectives and practices – may play a valuable role in guiding such efforts in conservation science and practice. Reflexivity can take diverse forms and occurs in many different spaces in conservation. For example, it can range from a researcher asking how their background, emotions, and training shape their methods, to how values held within the conservation community influence global conservation strategy. Is conservation becoming more self-aware? We offer several case examples illustrating how proactive reflexivity is being done in conservation practice and science already. We also describe associated barriers, risks, and enabling conditions.

Our paper draws on discussions and evidence generated during the 2020/21 Interdisciplinary Conservation Network (ICN) workshop series, organised by Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, which involved early-career conservation practitioners and scientists from all over the world.