From ecological sensemaking to sensegiving: a way to develop a scientific project that reaches out to society

De la construction du sens écologique au sensegiving: une approche pour développer un projet scientifique ouvert à la société

Marie-Noëlle Guilbaud (), Eleonore Mérour, Benjamin van Wyk de Vries (), María del Pilar Ortega-Larrocea, Silke Cram, Claire Shires, Oryaëlle Chevrel (), Maria Fernanda Martínez-Báez Téllez, Selene Eridani Zaragoza Alvarez and Catherine Morgan-Proux ()
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Marie-Noëlle Guilbaud: UNAM - Instituto de Geofisica [México] - UNAM - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = National Autonomous University of Mexico
Eleonore Mérour: CleRMa - Clermont Recherche Management - ESC Clermont-Ferrand - École Supérieure de Commerce (ESC) - Clermont-Ferrand - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne
Benjamin van Wyk de Vries: LMV - Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INSU - CNRS - Institut national des sciences de l'Univers - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne
María del Pilar Ortega-Larrocea: UNAM - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = National Autonomous University of Mexico
Silke Cram: UNAM - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = National Autonomous University of Mexico
Claire Shires: LRL - Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Langage - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne
Oryaëlle Chevrel: OVPF - Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise - IPG Paris - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, LMV - Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - INSU - CNRS - Institut national des sciences de l'Univers - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne
Maria Fernanda Martínez-Báez Téllez: UNAM - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = National Autonomous University of Mexico
Selene Eridani Zaragoza Alvarez: UNAM - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = National Autonomous University of Mexico
Catherine Morgan-Proux: CELIS - Centre de Recherches sur les Littératures et la Sociopoétique - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne

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Abstract: Globally, natural heritage is increasingly threatened by human activity. Despite the recent development of the geodiversity and geoheritage concepts and the success of associated programs such as UNESCO Global Geoparks, natural heritage is still widely considered to refer only to biotic elements such as plants and animals, demonstrating the persistent gap between geosciences and society. Collective actions are required to address these issues that are crucial in the context of a rapidly changing planet. How can we develop research that considers nature as a whole and open a dialogue with society? To answer this question, we use concepts and tools from organization science to analyse an interdisciplinary exchange project between the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico and the Université Clermont Auvergne in France. Through collaborative work on natural geosites located in both countries, diverse research topics emerged. Using a realistic narrative method, we describe, for each topic, the subjective trajectories and objective outcomes achieved by the participants through their activities, which defined their sense of action, allowed the success of these collective works and ensured their concrete impact for the conservation and protection of the natural sites. We then examine the project's organization using an apparatus that highlights five key organizational processes: 1) the foundation of a common ground through a theoretical framework experienced in the natural sites, 2) the emergence of research topics, 3) the fulfillment of these projects, 4) the diffusion of scientific results, and 5) the dissemination of knowledge to society. We finally discuss the results of our project in terms of sense of place, ecological sensemaking and sensegiving to demonstrate their role in the development of a holistic view of natural heritage that overcomes epistemic differences and culminates in activities of knowledge-sharing that breaks barriers and opens dialogue between science and society.

Keywords: Geodiversity; Geoheritage; Organization sciences; Natural heritage; Geosciences; Biodiversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-02-27
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05666754v1
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Published in Frontiers in Earth Science, 2026, 14, pp.1694641. ⟨10.3389/feart.2026.1694641⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05666754

DOI: 10.3389/feart.2026.1694641

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