Open AccessFrom niche to mainstream: the dilemmas of scaling up sustainable alternatives
Author(s) -
Karoline Augenstein,
Boris Bachmann,
Markus Egermann,
Verena Hermelingmeier,
Annaliesa Hilger,
Melanie JaegerErben,
Alexandra Kessler,
David P. M. Lam,
Alexandra Palzkill,
Paul Suski,
Timo von Wirth
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
gaia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 2625-5413
pISSN - 0940-5550
DOI - 10.14512/gaia.29.3.3
Subject(s) - mainstream , reflexivity , epistemology , niche , sociology , engineering ethics , management science , scale (ratio) , element (criminal law) , knowledge management , political science , computer science , social science , ecology , engineering , geography , biology , philosophy , cartography , law
At the heart of transition research lies the question of how to “scale up” sustainable alternatives from a protected niche to the creation of mainstream practices.While upscaling processes are often seen as an essential element that contributes to societal transformation, upscaling itself remains a fuzzy concept.We argue that some fundamental dilemmas of upscaling can be identified, for example, the different understanding of the concept by researchers and practitioners. The dilemmas should be addressed in a more reflexive way by those from the worlds of science and practice who are involved in collaborative research settings.