Creating Inspiring Workshops and Courses in Transdisciplinarity: A Guide - Manual / Resource - Page 100
Boundary work
What is boundary work?
Boundary work refers to the process of working across
disciplinary or institutional silos to address practical, political, and
cultural differences in the understanding and use of knowledge
among potential collaborators. It involves engaging at the
interface (boundary) between different groups to promote the
creation of shared knowledge. Boundary work can be conducted
informally or formally by researchers, decision-makers, or
organizations dedicated to bridging these gaps.
How is boundary work accomplished?
Boundary work can be undertaken simply by structured or
informal dialogue in which parties learn about each other,
each other’s work, contexts, and worldviews. In addition to
understanding mutual understanding, participants develop a
shared vocabulary, and – most importantly – sufficient trust to
be able to work with each other. The outcome is not necessarily
an integrated way of understanding the world but a sufficiently
robust relationship to collaborate in the TDR project.
This is typically not accomplished in a single conversation but can
take months to years, depending on the degree of differences,
level of preexisting knowledge of each other, and other history
that may impact the current relationship in relevant ways.
Boundary work occurs throughout a TDR project.
To help this process, a boundary object or bridging concept
can be used as a tool to link and foster diverse communities to
collaborate. Boundary objects are artifacts that could include
processes, concepts, maps, drawings, or graphs. A boundary
object must strike a balance of being fluid and adaptable, yet
provide cohesion and a shared reference among collaborators.
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Boundary spanners – individuals capable of bridging different
worlds and helping to foster connections across them – are able
to employ boundary objects to facilitate boundary work and
drive change. A boundary object enhances the effectiveness of
evidence-based decision-making if it is context specific.
Who does boundary work in TDR projects?
TDR approaches incorporate boundary spanning functions into
their strategies to facilitate collaboration. While TDR teams may
engage with boundary spanners and organizations external
to the team, formal boundary-spanning organizations may be
particularly effective for addressing problems that span regional,
temporal, and national scales; require changes in the behavior of
large institutions; or include preexisting conflictual relationships
among those that might collaborate on the project. Additionally,
strong social networks and communities of practice can support
the facilitation of impact through engagement and collaboration.
Further reading:
•
Andrews, Lisa M., Stefania Munaretto, Heleen L. P.
Mees, and Peter P. J. Driessen. 2024. Conceptualising
Boundary Work Activities to Enhance Credible, Salient and
Legitimate Knowledge in Sustainability Transdisciplinary
Research Projects. Environmental Science & Policy 155
(103722): 103722.
•
Bednarek, A. T., C. Wyborn, C. Cvitanovic, R. Meyer, R.
M. Colvin, & P. Leith (2018). Boundary spanning at the
science–policy interface: the practitioners’ perspectives.
Sustainability Science, 13, 1175-1183.
•
Bennett, Elena M. 2020. Enabling Long-Term Planning
in the Montérégie Region of Quebec. Earth Leadership
Program. March 5, 2020.
Practices Boundary work
