Abstracts Political Science

Exploring the transformative potential of citizen science in marine governance processes

by Benedict McAteer

This study takes a critical approach to examining the participatory research practice of citizen science, examining the potential that it has to transform two key challenges facing regimes of marine governance: (i) knowledge rationalisation and (ii) the marginalisation of local communities. Although participatory research is far from a new process of producing environmental knowledge, key social and transformative aspects of citizen science remain relatively under examined. To develop a better comprehension of how transformation can occur within the realm of citizen science, and to reveal the barriers and challenges that can prevent transformative outcomes from occurring, this study develops a conceptual framework based upon Michel Foucault’s theory of power/knowledge. In doing so, two key examinations were conducted. First, assessing the organisational dynamics of projects and evaluating the manner in which knowledge is produced, used and has impact. Second, by critically examining the participation processes that projects facilitate. Whilst analysing the organisational and political elements of how citizen science projects function, this research uncovers how uneven balances of power between practitioners and governance actors are embedded within projects. These unequal arrangements are seen to enable governance actors to overpower practitioners and to influence both the evolution and potential output of projects. As a consequence of restrictive measures, which are revealed as being an attempt to professionalise citizen science, the scope of what projects can achieve and their capacity to instigate transformative change is significantly narrowed. This is made clear when assessing both the knowledge that projects can produce and the structure of participation processes. Decoding the collected information, this study puts forward a range of recommendations that suggest how citizen science, by being politicised and supporting a broader range of participation pathways, can strengthen its capacity to act as a solution to marine governance processes.