Exploring a process-relational approach to qualitative research methods for sustainability science

As sustainability scientists increasingly put forward the relevance of process-relational approaches to make sense of social-ecological phenomena, an inquiry on which methods would fit a process-relational approach is necessary. This paper discusses how a process-relational approach can be applied to traditional qualitative research methods, namely interviews and coding and the tensions associated with it. Process-relational perspectives share commonalities with interpretative approaches but also present specific characteristics, such as the importance of material aspects and the understanding of the phenomenon as a moment in which different elements become defined respective to each other. The paper uses data and researchers' experiences from an action research project seeking to support collective action among coastal communities affected by environmental changes in Kenya and Mozambique.Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. & Agrave; medida que os cientistas da sustentabilidade defendem cada vez mais a relev & acirc;ncia das abordagens processo-relacionais para compreender fen & ocirc;menos socioecol & oacute;gicos, torna-se necess & aacute;rio investigar quais m & eacute;todos seriam adequados para uma abordagem processual-relacional. Este artigo discute como uma abordagem relacional-processual pode ser aplicada aos m & eacute;todos tradicionais de pesquisa qualitativa, nomeadamente entrevistas e codifica & ccedil;& atilde;o, e as tens & otilde;es associadas a eles. As perspectivas de processo-relacionais partilham similaridades com abordagens interpretativas, mas tamb & eacute;m apresentam caracter & iacute;sticas espec & iacute;ficas, como a import & acirc;ncia dos aspectos materiais e a compreens & atilde;o do fen & ocirc;meno como um momento no qual diferentes elementos se definem em rela & ccedil;& atilde;o uns aos outros. O artigo utiliza dados e experi & ecirc;ncias de pesquisadores de um projeto de investiga & ccedil;& atilde;o-a & ccedil;& atilde;o que busca apoiar a a & ccedil;& atilde;o coletiva entre comunidades costeiras afetadas por mudan & ccedil;as ambientais no Qu & ecirc;nia e em Mo & ccedil;ambique. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.