Evolutionary Governance Theory Theory and Applications [Paperback]

This volume presents empirical studies and theoretical reflections on Evolutionary Governance Theory (EGT), its most important concepts and their interrelations. As a novel theory of governance, EGT understands governance as radically evolutionary, which implies that all elements of governance are subject to evolution, that these elements co-evolve and that many of them are the product of governance itself. Through this book we learn how communities understand themselves and their environment and why they create the complex structures and processes we analyze as governance paths. Authors from different disciplines develop the EGT framework further and apply it to a wide rage networks of power, governance of agricultural resources etc. The contributors also reflect on the possibilities and limitations of steering, intervention, management and development in a world continuously in flux. It bridges the gap between more fundamental and philosophical accounts of the social sciences and applied studies, offering theoretical advancements as well as practical recommendations.Part I: Introduction.- Part II: Configurations of Actors and Institutions.- Part III: Configurations of Power/Knowledge.- Part IV: Case Studies.- Part V: Conclusions.- Glossary.

Raoul Beunen is Assistant Professor of Environmental Governance at the Faculty of Management, Science & Technology at the Open University,?Netherlands and Visiting Researcher at the Strategic Communication Group of Wageningen University. He works on Evolutionary Governance Theory in the fields of natural resource management and spatial planning. His research explores the potentials and limitations of environmental policy and planning in the perspective of adaptive governance and sustainability.

Kristof Van Assche is Associate Professor at the University of Alberta, Visiting Associate Professor in Strategic Communication, Wageningen University, and lC(