Translating theory and philosophy into conservation science: An applied approach to foster interdisciplinarity through novel communication and creative engagement

It is now widely accepted that research in the social sciences and humanities is fundamental to understanding the cultural, political and ethical aspects of environmental issues, and thus has a critical role to play in responding to the loss of biodiversity. In particular, scholarship in the critical and interpretive social sciences and humanities – from political ecology to philosophy of science – has an invaluable, yet still underutilized, role in the pursuit of transformative change for both human and ecological wellbeing due to its ability to question and rethink established paradigms and power structures. Yet, efforts to meaningfully integrate theory and philosophy from these fields into biodiversity conservation research can be a challenge. In this paper, we present two experiments intended to translate social theory and philosophy into conservation science, drawing on insights from the history, philosophy and sociology of science, political theory, environmental justice, and theatre practice. The first intervention is a novel interdisciplinary communication effort to bridge research philosophies in conservation science involving co-developing ‘ten facts’ from the social sciences for environmental research. In this, we describe and reflect on these ‘ten facts’ through the case of an ongoing research project with the Oxford Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery on ‘climate-smart’ cocoa production in Ghana, demonstrating how the application of critical theory can shape the goals, focus, and conduct of conservation research for more effective and ethical socio-environmental outcomes. The second intervention is the translation of these ten facts into ten theatre-based games that can be used to explore insights from theory and philosophy without relying on complex terminology and written explanations, but rather creative and embodied engagement. These games were co-developed by social scientists and theatre practitioners, and can be used as part of transdisciplinary training in classrooms, workshops, research groups, and conservation organisations to foster communication across disciplines. Through these experiments, our hope is to support capacity building amongst conservation researchers of all kinds to engage with theory and philosophy as part of everyday research practice, and thereby help the biodiversity conservation community to ‘lead transformation together’ for the benefit of both people and planet.