Practising change(s): Analysing the German niche of permaculture with a Social Learning perspective to monitor social change in sustainability transitions

The Master’s programme Industrial Ecology is jointly organised by Leiden University and Delft University of Technology. - Grassroots initiatives that are inspired by the framework of permaculture try to design effective social and ecological systems. These are aimed to provide ecosystem services, build communities, give opportunities to learn and practice and support the establishment of circular nutrient systems. This they do, guided by a dynamic and systemic “manual” that helps to integrate and create many functions and draw on synergistic effects. Many results of such a design are commonly perceived as positive externalities. Drawing on principles and practices that run counter the current way “things are done”, the permaculture community offers potential insights into transformative processes that question the current growth paradigm and mainstream practices. One of the reasons for the growth of the permaculture community lies within its set-up as a community with strong core values and practices. These shared values and practices align members whilst recognising each individual's competences. However, being embedded in an environment that plays according to very different rules, the community also has to deal with tensions at its boundaries. Applying a systems perspective to complex problems allows seeing interwoven dynamics more differentiated. This thesis investigates the potential of combining two analytical lenses to better accommodate the diverse dynamics intrinsic to social systems in sustainability transitions: While Social Learning Systems allow for a close review of dynamics that make up social learning processes, the framework from transition studies stretches the time frame and puts dynamics in the perspective of broader external factors. With the goal to investigate the internal dynamics in a grassroots initiative that shape social learning processes and the potential for such communities to reach out to their environment this thesis establishes a conceptual framework to analyse the German permaculture community. It furthermore discusses the findings based on the present debate on sustainability transitions. Interviews with permaculture teachers as key informants who apply and teach permaculture design principles make up the empirical basis of this report. Frameworks and concepts from innovation and transition studies and theories on social learning are its theoretical backbone. Findings suggest that the German permaculture community is in the process of better accommodating for its growing diversity. This gives rise to new potential for developments at its boundaries, however, internal challenges are lacking capacity and the absence of commitment to a common strategy that effectively links individuals to coordinated actions. For transition studies, the combination of the analytical perspective adds insights into developments, challenges, and possible diffusion of radical grassroots initiatives as it highlights dynamics and the strong influence of personal agency on social change and diffusion of practices and meanings. For Social Learning Systems, the transition perspective offers an orientation which external factors also need to be considered in the shaping of learning processes in socio-technical systems.Technology, Policy and ManagementIndustrial Ecology4413 TRP 30Y Thesis Research projec