Development of a broadened cognitive mapping approach for analysing systems of practices in social–ecological systems

Frédéric M. Vanwindekens, Didier Stilmant and Philippe V. Baret

Ecological Modelling, 2013, vol. 250, issue C, 352-362

Abstract: This paper presents a new cognitive mapping approach for analysing systems of practices in social–ecological systems. These systems are mapped from people's views collected during open-ended interviews. Cognitive maps are made up of diverse variables (e.g., operations, drivers, constraints) linked to each other by a range of relationships: cause–effect, fluxes of matter, information flows and sequence of two operations. Individual cognitive maps heuristically model the practices and decision-making processes expressed by interviewees. The mathematical formulation of cognitive maps allows individual cognitive maps to be aggregated into a social cognitive map. The latter can be used to model the system of practices used by a particular group of people. Using this approach, we analysed the practices and decision-making processes linked to grassland management in a Belgian grassland-based livestock farming system. Our work confirmed that a social cognitive map could be drawn up for multiple locations. The results showed how this inductive cognitive mapping approach overcame two limitations frequently highlighted in previous studies: the diverse interpretations of variables and relationships; and the difficulty in revealing the rationale in cognitive maps.

Keywords: Fuzzy cognitive mapping; Systems of practices; Social–ecological systems; Livestock farming system; Grassland management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:250:y:2013:i:c:p:352-362

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.11.023

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