Undertaking research at the interface between disciplines: questions of purpose, method, and possibilities

In the context of the social and environmental challenges confronting the Earth in the age of the Anthropocene, a need emerges for a reconfiguration of current models of knowledge production to enable more sustainable approaches and actions. Examining different epistemological positions, this paper invites future researchers coming from different disciplines to explore and grapple with the opportunities embedded in dialogue. An argument is put forward for education – represented by teaching and research in our universities – to embed knowledge and learning within an ecological view. The ongoing interrogation of ourselves in relation to others, both living and non-living, brings recognition of our interdependence, and the embodied, affective nature of our being-with others.
Keywords: Sustainability science; dialogue; participation; interdisciplinary; education