After "nature"? Using the concept of nature in scientific and policy contexts: an "indisciplinary" approach

Résumé fourni par la source

Should scientists continue to use the term "nature"? Does it undermine their ability to communicate with policymakers and the public about biodiversity, sustainability, and ecology? This paper presents the results of a collaborative, interdisciplinary project designed to examine the problems that scientists around the world face when using the term "nature" in different contexts. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the paper offers conceptual tools for analyzing and discussing these problems and proposes strategies to overcome them and improve communication across disciplines and cultures. The paper also advocates an "indisciplinary" approach, in which scholars from different disciplines collaborate to solve a problem that cannot be solved individually. This method demonstrates that, with careful analysis and replacement in a larger network of scientific and traditional terms, the term "nature" may still be useful.