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Social-ecological resilience in practice : exploring capacities for navigating change in complex systems
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613876981334016 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Malherbe, Willem Stefanus |
| author2 | Biggs, Reinette, 1979- |
| author_browse | Biggs, Reinette, 1979- Malherbe, Willem Stefanus |
| author_facet | Biggs, Reinette, 1979- Malherbe, Willem Stefanus |
| author_sort | Malherbe, Willem Stefanus |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131817 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:06.958Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131817 Social-ecological resilience in practice : exploring capacities for navigating change in complex systems Malherbe, Willem Stefanus Biggs, Reinette, 1979- Sitas, Nadia Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Centre for Sustainability Transition. Nature -- Effect of human beings on Global environmental change -- Research Climatic changes -- Research Sustainable development UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH SUMMARY: The world is facing a period of increased change and uncertainty due to multiple interacting challenges associated with the Anthropocene. The scale of these challenges requires new ways of navigating change and surprise in social-ecological systems to achieve just and sustainable futures. The concept of social-ecological resilience has been proposed as a way to understand how systems navigate these challenges. The concept is however defined and applied in different ways, and the ambiguity surrounding it often detracts from how it is used. This research aims to advance the operationalisation of social-ecological resilience in ways that are capable of engaging with the complex and intertwined sustainability and equity challenges of the Anthropocene. This dissertation uses four different approaches of enquiry, each relating to a separate chapter prepared in the format of a journal article. The first approach is a systematised literature review to explore the progression of resilience definitions used in Sustainability Sciences. The remaining approaches are applied to case studies of food systems in South Africa. Firstly, a capitals approach and thematic analysis is used to empirically assess resilience capacities in horticultural farming operations. Secondly, a mixed-method metacoupling approach is used to determine the effect that mechanisms that govern cross-scale interactions have on dimensions of equity in the horticultural value chain. Finally, participatory workshops using futuring approaches are used to evaluate the desired futures among different actor groups. Results of the systematised review (Chapter 2) show how resilience definitions have shifted in a normative direction in Sustainability Science. This is associated with the increasing use of transformation as one of the capacities and focus areas in resilience studies. Transformative capacity is associated with normative elements both in research (e.g. to address equity and justice), and in the definitions (e.g. with human well-being as stated outcomes). The capitals approach (Chapter 3) is used to classify resilience capacities based on the effects of changes and responses within farming operations. Results from the metacoupling approach (Chapter 4) show how governance mechanisms applied at multiple scales may contribute to effects that undermine policy objectives at local levels and highlight the differential power that actors have to influence these outcomes. The futuring approaches (Chapter 5) shows how small-scale, and to a lesser extent emerging farmers, face a larger number of constraints than established farmers, yet these groups identify similar pathways to achieve their desired futures. This dissertation contributes to the operationalisation of social-ecological resilience by proposing a collective set of capacities, namely anticipative, absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities, as the mechanism through which resilience processes may be used to navigate dynamics of complex social-ecological systems. Importantly, anticipative capacity is proposed as a way to explicitly consider normative aspects of resilience, while a need for the spatial fit of governance mechanisms is highlighted as a policy recommendation. Also to be considered is the differential ability of actors to influence equity in systems, termed the ‘equity landscape’, thereby emphasising the need for actors who lack recognition to be considered and empowered in relevant governance processes at different scales. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die wereld staar 'n tydperk van verhoogde verandering en onsekerheid in die gesig as gevolg van veelvuldige uitdagings wat verband hou met prosesse van mens-gedrewe verandering. Hierdie uitdagings bedreig die welstand van huidige en toekomstige geslagte en vereis dus dat hulle doeltreffend bestuur word. Sosiaal-Ekologiese Stelsels is egter kompleks en tree in verrassende maniere op, wat dit moeilik maak om te doen. Sosiaal-ekologiese veerkragtigheid word voorgestel as 'n manier vir stelsels om verandering te navigeer, maar die konsep het 'n lang geskiedenis waar dit op verskillende maniere gedefinieer en toegepas word in die wetenskaplike domein, en is dus ‘n onduidelike konsep waar dit in praktyk toepas word. Hierdie navorsing is daarop gemik om vas te stel hoe geskik huidige interpretasies van die veerkragtigheid konsep is om hedendaagse volhoubaarheid uitdagings te hanteer, en stel verder maniere voor wat kan help om dit te doen. Vier verskillende benaderings word toegepas om die doelwit te bereik. Die eerste benadering is 'n gesistematiseerde literatuuroorsig om die vordering van veerkragtigheid definisies wat in volhoubaarheid wetenskappe gebruik word, te verken. Die oorblywende benaderings word toegepas op gevallestudies van voedsel stelsels in Suid-Afrika. 'n Kapitaal-benadering word tesame met onderhoude en tematiese analise gebruik om empiries die kapasiteite van veerkragtigheid in tuinbou boerderybedrywighede te evalueer. 'n Gemengde metode metakoppel-benadering word dan gebruik om die effekte van meganismes wat skaal kruisende interaksies beheer in die voedselproduksie stelsel te bepaal. Laastens word werkswinkels gebruik in toekomstigheid-benaderings om die gewenste toekoms tussen verskillende rolspelers te evalueer. Resultate van die gesistematiseerde oorsig toon hoe veerkragtigheid definisies toenemend in normatiewe wyse gebruik word. Dit word aangedui deur die toenemende gebruik van transformasie as kapasiteit in veerkragtigheid studies. In studies word transformasie geassosieer met normatiewe elemente (bv. gelykheid), terwyl definisies van veerkragtigheid wat dit insluit tipies normatiewe elemente het as uitkomste (bv. menslike welstand). Die kapitaal-benadering word gebruik om die kapasiteite van veerkragtigheid te klassifiseer gebaseer op die effek van veranderinge en gepaarde reaksies. Resultate van die metakoppel-benadering toon hoe bestuur meganismes wat op veelvuldige skale toegepas word, kan bydra tot effekte wat beleidsdoelwitte op plaaslike vlakke ondermyn, en beklemtoon die differensiele mag wat rolspelers het om hierdie uitkomste te beinvloed. Die toekomstigheid-benadering wys hoe kleinskaalse, en tot 'n mindere mate opkomende boere, 'n groter aantal beperkings tot produksie doelwitte in die gesig staar in vergelyking met gevestigde boere. Doctoral 2025-03-31T07:27:37Z 2025-03-31T07:27:37Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131817 Stellenbosch University xiv, 263 pages : illustrations, maps, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Nature -- Effect of human beings on Global environmental change -- Research Climatic changes -- Research Sustainable development UCTD Malherbe, Willem Stefanus Social-ecological resilience in practice : exploring capacities for navigating change in complex systems |
| title | Social-ecological resilience in practice : exploring capacities for navigating change in complex systems |
| title_full | Social-ecological resilience in practice : exploring capacities for navigating change in complex systems |
| title_fullStr | Social-ecological resilience in practice : exploring capacities for navigating change in complex systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social-ecological resilience in practice : exploring capacities for navigating change in complex systems |
| title_short | Social-ecological resilience in practice : exploring capacities for navigating change in complex systems |
| title_sort | social ecological resilience in practice exploring capacities for navigating change in complex systems |
| topic | Nature -- Effect of human beings on Global environmental change -- Research Climatic changes -- Research Sustainable development UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131817 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT malherbewillemstefanus socialecologicalresilienceinpracticeexploringcapacitiesfornavigatingchangeincomplexsystems |