Mind the gaps! Climate scientists should heed lessons in collaborative storytelling from William Shakespeare
Abstract To co‐produce locally relevant climate knowledge, climate scientists are engaging in new collaborations—with stakeholders and with scholars in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. In our work as a Shakespeare scholar‐turned‐public‐humanist and a climate scientist, we have created a methodology that allows researchers and communities to co‐produce knowledge by co‐producing narratives. We combine principles from emerging climate “storylines” research with collaborative storytelling inspired by William Shakespeare's plays and theatrical practices. Shakespeare's plays spark collaborations and interpretations, in part, because of how Shakespeare leaves gaps in the narrative. These gaps allow others to enter as collaborators, creating a “cognitive ecology” that fosters knowledge and action among all engaged. Integrating these methods into climate storyline‐making offers a radical paradigm: it upends the scientist's role as the focal storyteller and expert, and fosters, instead, partnership, equity, and a co‐exploration of multiple uncertainties. It is time for researchers to cede control to a cognitive ecology of collaborative action. This article is categorized under: Trans‐Disciplinary Perspectives > Humanities and the Creative Arts
- Research Organization:
- Iowa State University, Ames, IA (United States); University of California, Davis, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Iowa State University; National Science Foundation (NSF); US Department of Agriculture (USDA); USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0016438; SC0016605
- OSTI ID:
- 1869011
- Journal Information:
- Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Climate Change, Journal Name: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Climate Change Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 13; ISSN 1757-7780
- Publisher:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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