Cultivating an ethos of “everyday convergence”: insights from the Multiscale RECIPES Network for food waste reduction

Amanda Wood, Jack Daly (), Jourdan Folger, Rujia Xie and Norbert L. W. Wilson ()
Additional contact information
Amanda Wood: Stockholm Resilience Centre
Jack Daly: Duke University
Jourdan Folger: Duke University
Rujia Xie: Duke University
Norbert L. W. Wilson: Duke University

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Convergence is a research approach that aims to deeply integrate insights across disciplines to tackle complex social and societal grand challenges. However, while convergence is gaining popularity as the most integrated way to tackle such vexing challenges, researchers are not always clear how to operationalize convergence. By interviewing Network members, we collected insights about the convergence process from the Multiscale RECIPES Network, a research endeavor developed and funded to advance convergent approaches to tackling food waste. Participants identified six key challenges to convergence. To overcome these challenges, participants often described ways of imbuing everyday events and interactions with an intentionality of Network members working toward convergence. Thus, convergence thinking must permeate the everyday activities of Network members. We discuss five strategies the RECIPES Network uses to develop an ethos and intentionality of everyday convergence: community building, discussing what convergence meant to the Network, top-down guidance from leadership, funding roles to support convergence, and accepting convergence in all its forms. Research groups can adapt these strategies to enhance convergence within their project. However, not all challenges can be overcome through ‘everyday interactions.’ We point to the need for further structural and policy changes within universities and funders to better support convergence.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-025-05905-6 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-05905-6

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/palcomms/about

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05905-6

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().