Decolonising transitions in the Global South: Towards more epistemic diversity in transitions research

• Published in: Environmental innovation and societal transitions 2021-12, Vol.41, p.106-109
• Main Authors: Ghosh, Bipashyee, Ramos-Mejía, Mónica, Machado, Rafael Carvalho, Yuana, Suci Lestari, Schiller, Katharina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Decolonialisation; Epistemic diversity; Global South; Just transitions; Participatory research; Sustainability transitions
• ISSN: 2210-4224; 2210-4232
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eist.2021.10.029

•Western values continue to dominate transitions research.•Transitions research need decolonising.•Decolonising means embracing the ‘pluriverse’.•We need alternative, participatory research methods.•Decolonising is necessary to address inequality, injustice and unethical transitions. Research on sustainability transitions in the Global South has evolved since its inception a decade ago. Yet, many issues concerning the hegemony of Western knowledge systems and practices continue to impact research on transitions in the Global South. This viewpoint suggests several ways to address these issues through decolonialising transitions research: namely through acknowledging everyday struggles faced in the Global South, explicitly addressing questions of power, informal institutions, inequality and injustice that permeate transitions in the Global South and integrating truly participatory research methods that value research ‘subjects’ and embrace the transformative activities and communities of practices. Drawing on half a decade of formal and informal knowledges exchanges led by “Transitions in the Global South” thematic group of STRN, it is time for our community to embrace a fresh and alternative approach to understanding, mainstreaming and implementing transitions in the Global South.