The socio-ecological challenges we face are increasingly complex and growing day by day. Without a paradigm shift in our comprehension and involvement in these problems, the serious negative effects of these challenges and designers' incapacity to handle them will remain. Therefore, understanding the complex interconnections within our world is more crucial than ever. It underscores that success against these challenges can only be achieved through collaborative efforts. In view of these obstacles, it begs the question: "What constitutes the most effective method for navigating complex socio-ecological dilemmas?" Modern approaches have developed around overly complicated technologies that often fight against nature rather than work with it. Conversely, indigenous people have learned to live in symbiosis with nature, creating intuitive, timeless solutions from which we can still benefit today. Embracing complexity, interconnectedness, and sustainability in their living systems, indigenous innovation may be low-tech, yet sophisticated and designed to collaborate with complex ecosystems, enhancing mutually beneficial interactions between multiple species (species symbiosis). Considering the above, the study, based on the hypothesis of indigenous knowledge and its symbiotic way of thinking in systems, has the potential to revolutionise modern-day design approaches, particularly during the know-how phases aimed at tackling complex socio-ecological challenges. The entire thesis work presented here aims to explore this potential and potentially validate this assumption. To achieve this, the thesis project comprises three main sectors: one theoretical phase and two empirical phases. The theoretical phase introduces the rationale for the investigation, theories, and practices central and relevant to the debate on indigenous knowledge and systems thinking in design. It discusses how to understand indigenous knowledge practices and how to incorporate them into scientific practices using theoretically grounded models. Additionally, it recognizes some of the limitations of adapting indigenous knowledge to design approaches to gain an understanding of complex socio-ecological problems. The first part of the empirical phase involves the observational journey through indigenous villages, conducted through the lens of theoretical models to harness indigenous knowledge. The journey commenced in three geographically indigenous villages in the central mountains of Sri Lanka, where the author resided with the communities for three weeks. Knowledge was explored through interactions with people, places, practices, and narratives spanning products, services, and systems. Subsequently, it was mapped out according to the five interrelated levels of the knowledge-practice belief complex to understand the potential framework. It informs an approach which has three stages framework, beginning with the consideration of alternative worldviews, inculcating knowledge competencies of interconnectedness, complexity, holism, and sustainability, and skill competencies. Then decoding and predicting in the know-how phase. The second empirical phase starts by exploring the pragmatism of the informed knowledge through its application to socio-ecological challenges in the same context, such as addressing the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka. Workshop sessions were conducted with design students to test the potential of the design approach, comparing it with and without the framework. The study identifies the positive impact of incorporating indigenous knowledge into design approaches, particularly in contexts where debate over this knowledge exists. Rather than fostering conflict between the two knowledge systems, it further posits that they can complement each other. The thesis concludes by assessing 'Symbiotic Systems Thinking' as a conceptual approach that encourages strong relationships with each other and the land – an idea grounded in Indigenous knowledge. Embracing different worldviews represents a significant shift from the usual design approach, urging further developments and validation to expand this knowledge into different contexts by applying and adapting it accordingly.
Le sfide socio-ecologiche che affrontiamo sono sempre più complesse e crescono di giorno in giorno. Senza un cambiamento di paradigma nella nostra comprensione e coinvolgimento in questi problemi, gli effetti negativi seri di queste sfide e l'incapacità dei progettisti di gestirle rimarranno. Pertanto, comprendere le complesse interconnessioni all'interno del nostro mondo è più cruciale che mai. Si sottolinea che il successo contro queste sfide può essere raggiunto solo attraverso sforzi collaborativi. Alla luce di questi ostacoli, sorge la domanda: "Qual è il metodo più efficace per affrontare i complessi dilemmi socio-ecologici?" Gli approcci moderni si sono sviluppati intorno a tecnologie eccessivamente complicate che spesso lottano contro la natura piuttosto che collaborare con essa. Al contrario, i popoli indigeni hanno imparato a vivere in simbiosi con la natura, creando soluzioni intuitive e senza tempo da cui possiamo ancora beneficiare oggi. Abbracciando la complessità, l'interconnessione e la sostenibilità nei loro sistemi di vita, l'innovazione indigena può essere a bassa tecnologia, ma sofisticata e progettata per collaborare con ecosistemi complessi, migliorando interazioni mutualmente benefiche tra varie specie (simbiosi tra specie). Considerando quanto sopra, lo studio, basato sull'ipotesi della conoscenza indigena e del suo modo simbiotico di pensare nei sistemi, ha il potenziale per rivoluzionare gli approcci progettuali moderni, in particolare durante le fasi di know-how mirate a affrontare complesse sfide socio-ecologiche. L'intero lavoro di tesi presentato qui mira a esplorare questo potenziale e potenzialmente convalidare questa ipotesi. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo, il progetto di tesi comprende tre settori principali: una fase teorica e due fasi empiriche. La fase teorica introduce la razionalità dell'indagine, le teorie e le pratiche centrali e rilevanti per il dibattito sulla conoscenza indigena e il pensiero sistemico nel design. Discute come comprendere le pratiche della conoscenza indigena e come incorporarle nelle pratiche scientifiche utilizzando modelli teoricamente fondati. Inoltre, riconosce alcune delle limitazioni dell'adattamento della conoscenza indigena agli approcci progettuali per ottenere una comprensione dei complessi problemi socio-ecologici. La prima parte della fase empirica coinvolge il viaggio osservativo attraverso villaggi indigeni, condotto attraverso la lente di modelli teorici per sfruttare la conoscenza indigena. Il viaggio è iniziato in tre villaggi indigeni geograficamente distinti nelle montagne centrali dello Sri Lanka, dove l'autore ha risieduto con le comunità per tre settimane. La conoscenza è stata esplorata attraverso interazioni con persone, luoghi, pratiche e narrazioni che spaziano su prodotti, servizi e sistemi. Successivamente, è stata mappata in base ai cinque livelli interrelati del complesso di conoscenza-pratica credenza per comprendere il potenziale quadro. Informa un approccio che ha tre fasi di framework, iniziando con la considerazione di visioni del mondo alternative, inculcando competenze di conoscenza di interconnessione, complessità, olisticità e sostenibilità e competenze di abilità. Quindi decodifica e prevede nella fase di know-how. La seconda fase empirica inizia esplorando il pragmatismo della conoscenza informata attraverso la sua applicazione a sfide socio-ecologiche nello stesso contesto, come affrontare il conflitto tra uomini ed elefanti in Sri Lanka. Sono state condotte sessioni di workshop con studenti di design per testare il potenziale dell'approccio progettuale, confrontandolo con e senza il framework. Lo studio identifica l'impatto positivo dell'incorporazione della conoscenza indigena negli approcci progettuali, in particolare in contesti in cui esiste dibattito su questa conoscenza. Piuttosto che alimentare il conflitto tra i due sistemi di conoscenza, ipotizza ulteriormente che possano completarsi a vicenda. La tesi si conclude valutando il "Pensiero Sistemico Simbiotico" come un approccio concettuale che incoraggia forti relazioni tra loro e con la terra - un'idea radicata
Symbiotic system thinking : harnessing indigenous knowledge to improve design approaches for complex socio-ecological challenges
Perera, Weliweriyage Dulaj Shirantha
2023/2024
Abstract
The socio-ecological challenges we face are increasingly complex and growing day by day. Without a paradigm shift in our comprehension and involvement in these problems, the serious negative effects of these challenges and designers' incapacity to handle them will remain. Therefore, understanding the complex interconnections within our world is more crucial than ever. It underscores that success against these challenges can only be achieved through collaborative efforts. In view of these obstacles, it begs the question: "What constitutes the most effective method for navigating complex socio-ecological dilemmas?" Modern approaches have developed around overly complicated technologies that often fight against nature rather than work with it. Conversely, indigenous people have learned to live in symbiosis with nature, creating intuitive, timeless solutions from which we can still benefit today. Embracing complexity, interconnectedness, and sustainability in their living systems, indigenous innovation may be low-tech, yet sophisticated and designed to collaborate with complex ecosystems, enhancing mutually beneficial interactions between multiple species (species symbiosis). Considering the above, the study, based on the hypothesis of indigenous knowledge and its symbiotic way of thinking in systems, has the potential to revolutionise modern-day design approaches, particularly during the know-how phases aimed at tackling complex socio-ecological challenges. The entire thesis work presented here aims to explore this potential and potentially validate this assumption. To achieve this, the thesis project comprises three main sectors: one theoretical phase and two empirical phases. The theoretical phase introduces the rationale for the investigation, theories, and practices central and relevant to the debate on indigenous knowledge and systems thinking in design. It discusses how to understand indigenous knowledge practices and how to incorporate them into scientific practices using theoretically grounded models. Additionally, it recognizes some of the limitations of adapting indigenous knowledge to design approaches to gain an understanding of complex socio-ecological problems. The first part of the empirical phase involves the observational journey through indigenous villages, conducted through the lens of theoretical models to harness indigenous knowledge. The journey commenced in three geographically indigenous villages in the central mountains of Sri Lanka, where the author resided with the communities for three weeks. Knowledge was explored through interactions with people, places, practices, and narratives spanning products, services, and systems. Subsequently, it was mapped out according to the five interrelated levels of the knowledge-practice belief complex to understand the potential framework. It informs an approach which has three stages framework, beginning with the consideration of alternative worldviews, inculcating knowledge competencies of interconnectedness, complexity, holism, and sustainability, and skill competencies. Then decoding and predicting in the know-how phase. The second empirical phase starts by exploring the pragmatism of the informed knowledge through its application to socio-ecological challenges in the same context, such as addressing the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka. Workshop sessions were conducted with design students to test the potential of the design approach, comparing it with and without the framework. The study identifies the positive impact of incorporating indigenous knowledge into design approaches, particularly in contexts where debate over this knowledge exists. Rather than fostering conflict between the two knowledge systems, it further posits that they can complement each other. The thesis concludes by assessing 'Symbiotic Systems Thinking' as a conceptual approach that encourages strong relationships with each other and the land – an idea grounded in Indigenous knowledge. Embracing different worldviews represents a significant shift from the usual design approach, urging further developments and validation to expand this knowledge into different contexts by applying and adapting it accordingly.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/219821