ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE IN SOCIETY LAB

Welcome to the Environmental Science in Society Lab, an interdisciplinary social-environmental research meshwork at the University of Toronto Scarborough. ​Environmental researchers often say they ‘network’ to access local knowledge and other expertise; to encourage cross-fertilization across disciplines, institutions, and places to address complex social-environmental problems. Yet, the metaphor of ‘networking’ --connecting the dots-- does not capture all of the affective and cognitive work involved in research for and within society.

 

To better acknowledge and value the relational work that happens in our research, we use the metaphor of ‘meshwork.’ It highlights the lines along which individuals, knowledges and research practices grow, develop and intersect. 'Meshworking' involves paying attention to what happens in the interstices of methods, subject positions, roles, and evaluative criteria. 'Meshwork' requires us to become better attuned to the histories and trajectories of people and places encountered in research practice. Our research meshwork is about becoming skillful in recognizing entanglements, and through mindful practice, creating new possibilities for the flourishing of life along diverse lines.

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