Towards more appropriate metaphors of sustainable development

Through Metaphor to a Sustainable Ecology of Development Policies (Part #7)

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A simplistic metaphor of the relationship between 'environment' and 'development' is that of 'having one's cake and eating it too'. The basic point of this paper is that it makes a critical difference what metaphor is used, whether implicitly or explicitly, to view the relationship between competing policy concepts:

(a) from a particular concept: from any given policy concept other concepts can only be viewed as threatening since that concept provides no sense of context, other than itself. 'Enemy' is then an appropriate metaphor. Such defensive postures are not uncommon in policy forums. 'Sustainable development' can be perceived in these terms with any other policy perspective as the enemy.

(b) as a group of competing concepts: here context is provided by the sense of a 'marketplace of ideas' in which the most appropriate products survive, if the market mechanism works satisfactorily. A more powerful metaphor is that of the 'gladiatorial arena', in which one concept strives to emerge triumphant at the expense of the others, possibly learning from them in order to do so. Metaphors of this type, including those based on competitive sports, are widely used as noted above. 'Sustainable development' can then be perceived as a set of competing concepts from which the most appropriate will emerge triumphant -- as the ideal result of a policy forum.

(c) as a homeostatic ecology of concepts: the two previous perspectives can however be perceived as subsystems or processes within an 'ecology' of policy concepts. Here there are a variety of relationships between alternative policies (including 'predation', 'parasitism', and 'commensalism'), but these function such as to maintain a balance between the different 'species' of policy within the ecology (see Annex 3). 'Sustainable development' can then be perceived as a stewardship function of ensuring the stability of an ecology of policy concepts in which each fulfils particular developmental functions under particular conditions and there is a niche for defelopmental policies of all sizes and orientations.

(d) as an evolving ecology of concepts: of greater interest is the possibility of perceiving 'sustainable development' as an evolving ecology of developmental policies. Here there is a maintenance dimension corresponding to a homeostatic ecology as well as a longer-term evolutionary dimension as the various species adapt and evolve to emerging conditions, with new species emerging as the creative result of mutation processes.

If 'sustainable development' is associated with metaphors of the first two kinds, its long-term value is questionable. If it can be perceived through metaphors of richness equivalent to the last two kinds, it can perform the integrative function necessary to incorporate both the policy priorities of 'development' (in its many forms) and of 'environment' (in its many forms). Note that only the last kind encompasses the continuing proliferation of alternative interpretations through a recognition of 'speciation' processes.

There is an attractive conceptual elegance in endeavouring to use the natural environment as a metaphoric map to provide conceptual handles on the many policy dimensions of sustainable development.It suggests the need for a certain isomorphism between the pattern of development policies and the structure of the natural environment within which (and in response to which) they are implemented (Judge, 1984c). The ecological metaphor is explored further in Annex 4.

In terms of the theme of this meeting, what is the metaphor used to sustain the relationship between the range of policy perspectives represented ? If that metaphor is not of requisite variety any result of such a forum can only be of value limited in time and space. The insight of 'sustainable development' cannot be satisfactorily embodied in a single policy or set of policies if no coherent context is provided for those who have to understand or approve it. Whatever the multiple, alternative or competing articulations of 'sustainable development' at the conceptual or policy level, the insight integrating their dynamic relationships can only be adequately communicated at the metaphoric level.

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