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<p>Climate adaptation research often ignores the broader socio-cultural human sphere within which climate change takes place. Dominant viewpoints on climate adaptation derive from the biophysical world that often excludes social, economic, and political contexts that also connect to biophysical changes. Hybrid methodological mixed methods approaches to climate adaptation provide paradigmatically different questions. This perspective is useful for identifying socio-cultural aspects of climatic adaptation. To demonstrate the power of a hybrid approach for interconnecting human and non-human factors implicated in climate adaptation, we deploy an in-depth case study of N. Benin, West African farmers who increasingly must configure their farming methods to tackle erratic changes in weather. The case study examines the role gender dynamics play in climate adaptation that found few gender differences in the ways male and female farmers perceive the biophysical aspects of climate adaptation on their subsistence farming lifestyle from their initial village climate survey. However, the qualitative components of their study uncovered significant gender differences in socio-cultural adaptation challenges, vulnerabilities, and future lifestyle opportunities. We discuss the transformative policy implications about ignoring gender difference and the importance of taking an intersectional approach to variation in climate adaptation policy making.</p>
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Climate adaptation research often ignores the broader socio-cultural human sphere within which climate change takes place. Dominant viewpoints on climate adaptation derive from the biophysical world that often excludes social, economic, and political contexts that also connect to biophysical changes. Hybrid methodological mixed methods approaches to climate adaptation provide paradigmatically different questions. This perspective is useful for identifying socio-cultural aspects of climatic adaptation. To demonstrate the power of a hybrid approach for interconnecting human and non-human factors implicated in climate adaptation, we deploy an in-depth case study of N. Benin, West African farmers who increasingly must configure their farming methods to tackle erratic changes in weather. The case study examines the role gender dynamics play in climate adaptation that found few gender differences in the ways male and female farmers perceive the biophysical aspects of climate adaptation on their subsistence farming lifestyle from their initial village climate survey. However, the qualitative components of their study uncovered significant gender differences in socio-cultural adaptation challenges, vulnerabilities, and future lifestyle opportunities. We discuss the transformative policy implications about ignoring gender difference and the importance of taking an intersectional approach to variation in climate adaptation policy making.

The Role of Hybrid Methodologies in Understanding Complex Environmental Issues and Promoting Social Justice

International Journal for Transformative Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Climate adaptation research often ignores the broader socio-cultural human sphere within which climate change takes place. Dominant viewpoints on climate...

The Role of Hybrid Methodologies in Understanding Complex Environmental Issues and Promoting Social Justice

Published Online: Dec 02, 2019

Page range: 20 - 26

Received: Mar 21, 2019

Accepted: Jun 25, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ijtr-2019-0004

Keywords
Situated knowledge, Mixed methods, Gender roles and the environment, Social justice

© 2018 Sharlene Hesse-Biber, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Role of Hybrid Methodologies in Understanding Complex Environmental Issues and Promoting Social Justice

Published Online: Dec 02, 2019

Page range: 20 - 26

Received: Mar 21, 2019

Accepted: Jun 25, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ijtr-2019-0004

KeywordsSituated knowledge, Mixed methods, Gender roles and the environment, Social justice

© 2018 Sharlene Hesse-Biber, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Situated knowledge, Mixed methods, Gender roles and the environment, Social justice