04.11 Climate change as a 'wicked', 'polycentric' problem in our 'messy' world Flashcards
What are wicked problems?
Wicked problems are complex social or cultural problems that are difficult to solve due to incomplete or contradictory knowledge, large volumes of people and opinions involved, huge economic burdens, the interconnected nature of these problems with other problems, and there being no end point.
What strategies are proposed by Nancy C Roberts (2000) to cope with wicked problems?
Roberts (2000) identified three strategies to coping with wicked problems: competitive, collaborative, and authoritative approaches.
What are the advantages of the competitive approach to cope with wicked problems?
Different solutions can be weighed up against each other, and the best one can be chosen in the competitive approach.
What are the disadvantages of the competitive approach to cope with wicked problems?
The competitive approach creates a confrontational environment that discourages sharing.
What are the advantages of the collaborative approach to cope with wicked problems?
The collaborative approach ensures that all stakeholders feel empowered.
What are the disadvantages of the collaborative approach to cope with wicked problems?
The collaborative approach can be time and labor-intensive in a situation where speed is important.
What are the advantages of the authoritative approach to cope with wicked problems?
The authoritative approach can reduce stakeholders, which reduces problem complexity.
What are the disadvantages of the authoritative approach to cope with wicked problems?
The authorities and experts might not appreciate all of the perspectives needed to tackle the problem in the authoritative approach.
What is a ‘messy’ problem?
‘Messy’ problems are sets of interrelated problems and other messes, according to Ackoff (1973).
What is a polycentric problem?
A polycentric problem is one that requires multiple independent and interconnected modes of decision-making, according to INOGOV Polycentric Climate Governance MOOC.
What is cathedral thinking?
Cathedral thinking is the pursuit of a legacy project that will take decades or even centuries to accomplish, and that will outlive its creators.
Why is solving climate change a ‘cathedral project’?
Solving climate change is a ‘cathedral project’ because it requires thinking beyond one’s lifespan, and will only be solved through longer-term ‘cathedral thinking.’
Is climate change a divergent or convergent problem according to Schumacher (1977)?
Schumacher (1977) distinguishes between divergent and convergent problems, and climate change is a divergent problem.
What are the characteristics of a super wicked problem according to Levin et al. (2012)?
According to Levin et al. (2012), a super wicked problem is characterized by time running out, no central authority, those seeking to solve the problem also causing it, and policies discounting the future irrationally.
What is the take-home message about climate change based on the given information?
The take-home message is that climate change is a ‘wicked’ (Rittel & Webber, 1973) problem or perhaps even a ‘super wicked’ one (Levin et al., 2012) that exists in a ‘messy’ world (Ackoff, 1973). It is a divergent problem (Schumacher, 1977) that will only be solved through longer-term ‘cathedral thinking,’ and requires a polycentric mode of governance so that there are no magic bullets (Ostrom, 2014).
