Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sustainability Across Cultures
How do we develop solutions that enable sustainable behaviors and practices when perceptions of the environment are as diverse as the cultures that hold them? We might begin by looking for common themes across cultures that have both deep resonance and the potential to be leveraged as triggers for behavioral change. Consider:
The western world’s understanding of environmentalism is tied closely to the science of ecology and it's development, as well as the biocentric activism of the counter-culture movement. In this version of environmentalism, saving endangered species and preserving the integrity of their ecosystems were the original rallying cries. Running parallel to these actions were a range of liberationist movements and the growth of interest in ‘natural’ foods and 'Eastern' spiritualities.
In the two countries that now host the world’s most rapidly expanding economies (India and China), what we might identify as environmental sentiments are linked closely to a history of spirituality that prioritizes the protection or purification of the body. A common theme found in these cultures is the growing awareness of—and dissatisfaction with—pollutants, paired with a distinct lack of trust in their own governments’ ability to regulate industry and protect the environment.
In Brazil (as well as many other Latin American countries), environmentalism is often tied to social justice movements and efforts to eradicate rural poverty and hunger. This is because perceptions of the environment there have been influenced heavily by U.S. and European NGO campaigns launched in the mid 20th century. The Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and other NGO’s forged a “Green Revolution” to eradicate hunger in South America and India which manifested most commonly in efforts to maximize crop yields via extensive use of pesticides and herbicides. The success of these hunger eradication campaigns were also repsonsible for creating new cultural notions of the earth as a pliable provider that can be easily and quickly manipulated to provide for human needs. The campaigns also linked the "Green Revolution" to civil obligations and responsible national citizenship.
This is cursory review, of course. However, I believe a more in-depth consideration is likely to reveal that the most common cross-cultural associations with environmentalism would include concern about personal health and the well-being of future generations (particularly one's own children). Overall, I see the most promise for global sustainable design that hones in on—and leverages culturally-situated understandings of—embodiment, protection, and a locally-rooted sense of ethics.
The western world’s understanding of environmentalism is tied closely to the science of ecology and it's development, as well as the biocentric activism of the counter-culture movement. In this version of environmentalism, saving endangered species and preserving the integrity of their ecosystems were the original rallying cries. Running parallel to these actions were a range of liberationist movements and the growth of interest in ‘natural’ foods and 'Eastern' spiritualities.
In the two countries that now host the world’s most rapidly expanding economies (India and China), what we might identify as environmental sentiments are linked closely to a history of spirituality that prioritizes the protection or purification of the body. A common theme found in these cultures is the growing awareness of—and dissatisfaction with—pollutants, paired with a distinct lack of trust in their own governments’ ability to regulate industry and protect the environment.
In Brazil (as well as many other Latin American countries), environmentalism is often tied to social justice movements and efforts to eradicate rural poverty and hunger. This is because perceptions of the environment there have been influenced heavily by U.S. and European NGO campaigns launched in the mid 20th century. The Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and other NGO’s forged a “Green Revolution” to eradicate hunger in South America and India which manifested most commonly in efforts to maximize crop yields via extensive use of pesticides and herbicides. The success of these hunger eradication campaigns were also repsonsible for creating new cultural notions of the earth as a pliable provider that can be easily and quickly manipulated to provide for human needs. The campaigns also linked the "Green Revolution" to civil obligations and responsible national citizenship.
This is cursory review, of course. However, I believe a more in-depth consideration is likely to reveal that the most common cross-cultural associations with environmentalism would include concern about personal health and the well-being of future generations (particularly one's own children). Overall, I see the most promise for global sustainable design that hones in on—and leverages culturally-situated understandings of—embodiment, protection, and a locally-rooted sense of ethics.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sketch Notes: Hackers as Healers
A few months after presenting at the Exposed Design Research Exchange at ASU, I ran across Rhinman's sketch notes on Flickr. Cool stuff, and such an interesting peek into how another person perceives and interprets what you're saying. I'd be fun to do this on a larger scale (workshop exercise?).
Green Humor
Environmentalism is historically quite sullen…cranky even. Doomsday messaging may motivate some (especially those already committed to the cause), but for sustainable behaviors, products and practices to become truly widespread, we need a more diverse palate of strategies.
Now that we seem to have nearly universal scientific consensus around global climate change, the lectures, pie charts, and computer models have lost their punch. We need approaches that embrace and trigger humor, spontaneity, exploration, and levity. This means that now, more than ever, the role of experience, narrative, and empathy are critical to sustainable design; as are some of the ‘classic’ components of comedy, such as irreverence, conflict, mistaken identity, etc.
Is this possible? Or is 'green' humor just another form of preaching to the choir?
There's this from Do the Green Thing. And this from Epuron. I'd be interested in other examples people might offer...
Now that we seem to have nearly universal scientific consensus around global climate change, the lectures, pie charts, and computer models have lost their punch. We need approaches that embrace and trigger humor, spontaneity, exploration, and levity. This means that now, more than ever, the role of experience, narrative, and empathy are critical to sustainable design; as are some of the ‘classic’ components of comedy, such as irreverence, conflict, mistaken identity, etc.
Is this possible? Or is 'green' humor just another form of preaching to the choir?
There's this from Do the Green Thing. And this from Epuron. I'd be interested in other examples people might offer...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Eco-Chic and 'Trickle-Down' Environmentalism
Remember Reaganomics?: The theory that economic growth will 'naturally' flow from upper socio-economic tiers to lower ones if given the opportunity (e.g., tax cuts for the wealthy). The idea is obviously out of fashion in our current political and economic climate, but trickle-down as a broader concept doesn't seem to have lost its allure.
Few would argue with the fact that liberals traditionally make up the bulk of environmentalists. But global climate change has created a more recent sense of urgency to engage and motivate far greater numbers (and types) of people to behave sustainably. The tactics vary, but some bear and odd resemblance to Reagan's 'trickle down' assumptions. Most notable is the 'eco-chic' movement, which operates under the assumption that the eco-elite will lead the masses to a more sustainable world by making green trendy, chic, or cool—often through the purchase of more consumer goods. It seems an odd contradiction that environmental leftists of the upper-middle class variety, who would most definitively reject Reagan-esque trickle down economics, would embrace an approach to environmentalism that assumes the same basic relationship between status quo soical hierarchies—a rather conservative approach.
The real problem, however, is not the inherent conservativism of eco-chic, or the transient nature of its focus on fashion and trends (as some argue). The more critical issue is that this approach assumes a primacy of the flow in social trends from the upper to lower classes, and that it is both possible and preferrable to exploit this flow as a catalyst for creating sustainable behaviors.
Let's address the primacy issue first. While it may be the case that social trends have historically flowed from upper to lower classes, a very convincing case can be made for the recent disintegration of this phenomenon. Social network theorists point to a growing number of new flows of influence, most of which are facilitated by our increasingly networked existences. Today, more than ever, we are looking to 'others like me' for cues on social values and related actions. The runaway popularity of reality television, social networking sites, and the evolution of news from a tradition of objective journalism to channels for the confirmation of pre-formed values are all signs of this.
As for whether or not it is preferrable or possible to exploit the presumed flow of social influence from upper to lower classes, a great deal of evidence from my own ethnographic research demonstrates that this path of presumed influence is largely irrelevant for the majority of U.S. population, at least in terms of impact on their actual behaviors. Instead, we are beginning to understand the diverse constellation of motivations that lead people to behave sustainably. Although this diversity is disconcerting for market researchers (who’ve spent lifetimes tying purchasing trends to demographic categories), the good news is that a diversity of motivations means there are more and more points of alliance that can potentially drive sustainable behaviors. Whether it’s Christian evangelical leanings, a nationalist passion for decreasing reliance on foreign oil, or keeping a healthy home for your children, behaving sustainably can mean many different things to different people.
What’s more, many people use different standards to evaluate ‘greeness.' They make changes in a piecemeal fashion, and prioritize according to personal considerations of budget, ethical stance, political position, health conditions, etc. What we know now is that, in terms of sustainable behavior, inconsistency is the new norm. Incrementalism and networking have displaced the green revolution of the counter culture variety.
In this environment, the question becomes: how can we design in ways that accommodate these disparate value sets and priorities while simultaneously facilitating green behaviors—all without being pedantic. A challenge, of course. But it's pretty clear that eco-chic crowd and trickle-down environmentalists have lost the momentum they convinced themselves they were gaining (c.f., Hip and Zen to Close).
Few would argue with the fact that liberals traditionally make up the bulk of environmentalists. But global climate change has created a more recent sense of urgency to engage and motivate far greater numbers (and types) of people to behave sustainably. The tactics vary, but some bear and odd resemblance to Reagan's 'trickle down' assumptions. Most notable is the 'eco-chic' movement, which operates under the assumption that the eco-elite will lead the masses to a more sustainable world by making green trendy, chic, or cool—often through the purchase of more consumer goods. It seems an odd contradiction that environmental leftists of the upper-middle class variety, who would most definitively reject Reagan-esque trickle down economics, would embrace an approach to environmentalism that assumes the same basic relationship between status quo soical hierarchies—a rather conservative approach.
The real problem, however, is not the inherent conservativism of eco-chic, or the transient nature of its focus on fashion and trends (as some argue). The more critical issue is that this approach assumes a primacy of the flow in social trends from the upper to lower classes, and that it is both possible and preferrable to exploit this flow as a catalyst for creating sustainable behaviors.
Let's address the primacy issue first. While it may be the case that social trends have historically flowed from upper to lower classes, a very convincing case can be made for the recent disintegration of this phenomenon. Social network theorists point to a growing number of new flows of influence, most of which are facilitated by our increasingly networked existences. Today, more than ever, we are looking to 'others like me' for cues on social values and related actions. The runaway popularity of reality television, social networking sites, and the evolution of news from a tradition of objective journalism to channels for the confirmation of pre-formed values are all signs of this.
As for whether or not it is preferrable or possible to exploit the presumed flow of social influence from upper to lower classes, a great deal of evidence from my own ethnographic research demonstrates that this path of presumed influence is largely irrelevant for the majority of U.S. population, at least in terms of impact on their actual behaviors. Instead, we are beginning to understand the diverse constellation of motivations that lead people to behave sustainably. Although this diversity is disconcerting for market researchers (who’ve spent lifetimes tying purchasing trends to demographic categories), the good news is that a diversity of motivations means there are more and more points of alliance that can potentially drive sustainable behaviors. Whether it’s Christian evangelical leanings, a nationalist passion for decreasing reliance on foreign oil, or keeping a healthy home for your children, behaving sustainably can mean many different things to different people.
What’s more, many people use different standards to evaluate ‘greeness.' They make changes in a piecemeal fashion, and prioritize according to personal considerations of budget, ethical stance, political position, health conditions, etc. What we know now is that, in terms of sustainable behavior, inconsistency is the new norm. Incrementalism and networking have displaced the green revolution of the counter culture variety.
In this environment, the question becomes: how can we design in ways that accommodate these disparate value sets and priorities while simultaneously facilitating green behaviors—all without being pedantic. A challenge, of course. But it's pretty clear that eco-chic crowd and trickle-down environmentalists have lost the momentum they convinced themselves they were gaining (c.f., Hip and Zen to Close).
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
What Can Sustainability Teach Health Care?
I've been asking myself this question for a while. It seems somewhat obvious that concepts like life-cycle analysis and holistic or systemic thinking would go a long way toward breaking down overly-siloed health care.
For example, we might ask: What sorts of environmental or cultural processes or systems might be used as metaphors for healing or organization change in health care? How might biomimicry be used to improve medical records systems, patient processing, or the waiting room experience? Might practices and approaches prevalent in environmental remediation have a place in patient recovery? Indeed, innovation is now a top priority for all major health care providers in the U.S., so the opportunities for asking these kinds of questions are expanding.
But the other day a grad-school friend, Charlie Scull, forwarded this article to me, which describes how Natalie Jeremijenko at NYU is reversing this flow of knowledge by taking the familiarity of the doctor's visit and using it as a metaphor for prescribing behavioral changes that impact the environment. It's a fascinating reversal, and one that can open new platforms for thinking between the two areas of research and action.
See Jeremijenko's web site here.
For example, we might ask: What sorts of environmental or cultural processes or systems might be used as metaphors for healing or organization change in health care? How might biomimicry be used to improve medical records systems, patient processing, or the waiting room experience? Might practices and approaches prevalent in environmental remediation have a place in patient recovery? Indeed, innovation is now a top priority for all major health care providers in the U.S., so the opportunities for asking these kinds of questions are expanding.
But the other day a grad-school friend, Charlie Scull, forwarded this article to me, which describes how Natalie Jeremijenko at NYU is reversing this flow of knowledge by taking the familiarity of the doctor's visit and using it as a metaphor for prescribing behavioral changes that impact the environment. It's a fascinating reversal, and one that can open new platforms for thinking between the two areas of research and action.
See Jeremijenko's web site here.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Re-Imagining Cities after the Age of OIl
While visiting the Rockefeller Foundation page, I came across an intriguing exhibit that will be traveling the country soon. Pics here.
From the site:
Held from November 6 to 8, 2008, this ground–breaking symposium was organized to address the role of urban design in the face of one of the most profound and important challenges facing global society: the need to re–imagine and rethink how cities are designed and organized in a future without the plentiful and abundant oil upon which prosperous urban economies have been built.
From the site:
Held from November 6 to 8, 2008, this ground–breaking symposium was organized to address the role of urban design in the face of one of the most profound and important challenges facing global society: the need to re–imagine and rethink how cities are designed and organized in a future without the plentiful and abundant oil upon which prosperous urban economies have been built.
The "Re–Imagining Cities" program spoke to the depth and diversity of the challenge with sessions on innovations in the way cities are conceived, adapted, designed, developed, and managed in a post–carbon world. The conference concluded with a manifesto on educating the next generation of urban designers and how best to equip them for the road ahead.
An accompanying exhibition showcased innovative ideas, projects, initiatives, and policies from around the world that seek to reduce emissions by changing the way we inhabit cities. Documenting the rise in oil dependency, changing development patterns, and demographic trends, the exhibition threaded prescient theories and artifacts surrounding the 1958 conference with contemporary challenges of the urban design profession. The exhibition will be on display in other locations in the coming months. Check back for future locations.
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