I will be teaching a course to international Masters students when I return to Sweden on how to do sustainability research. Essentially the course prepares students for undertaking a thesis. First, I will cover the basics of data collection, looking particularly at how to do interviews and carry out a literature review as well as case studies, questionnaires and site visits. Second, I will help the students to understand data analysis, and how to use theory and apply an analytical framework. And third, and perhaps mostly importantly, I will engage the students in why sustainability research is relevant, and what types of topics and research problems are "worthy" of research. It is here that I think sustainability research needs to reflect the "urgency" of bringing about sustainable development and responding to climate change. I will focus on three main approaches that can shape sustainability reserach - action research, social innovation and tranformation design.
"Action research is a research initiated to solve an immediate problem or a reflective process of progressive problem solving led by individuals working with others in teams or as part of a "community of practice" to improve the way they address issues and solve problems. It sometimes called participatory action research."
"Social innovation refers to new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that meet social needs of all kinds - from working conditions and education to sustainable development and health - that extend and strengthen civil society. Research has focused on the types of platforms needed to facilitate such cross-sector collaborative social innovation."
"Transformation design is a human-centered, interdisciplinary process that seeks to create desirable and sustainable changes in behavior and form – of individuals, systems and organizations – often for socially progressive ends. It is a multi-stage, iterative process applied to big, complex issues – often, but not limited to, social issues."
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