The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is an important estuary along Florida’s east coast. It is known for its ongoing water quality issues attributed to human activity in the watershed, which has resulted in extensive restoration and conservation efforts. This study researches the relationship between public perception and sentiment toward sustainable development initiatives and how they influence conservation and restoration in the Indian River Lagoon watershed. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with IRL experts who work in the government, academia, nonprofit, or nongovernmental sectors to discuss public sentiment and engagement practices within the watershed. The responses were analyzed using a causal layered analysis, which highlighted social, political, and economic factors that influence public attitudes on various initiatives within the IRL ecosystem. Based on the findings, improved relationship building and diversity in IRL stakeholders are important to ensuring comprehensive community engagement with environmental stewardship and management.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research report aims to show how futures studies or foresight techniques, especially causal layered analysis (CLA), can enrich the attempts of organisations to innovate. The study discusses the importance of innovation for organisations and shows that innovation is deeply rooted in the knowledge economy. The nature of innovation is explored as well as the different types and degrees of innovation. An integrated innovation model is proposed which is used to establish some of the key challenges which arise from the innovation process. The challenges are expanded to take into consideration those challenges which arise from the approach organisations take to innovation as well as some of the innovation challenges which arise from the underlying organisational culture. The nature of futures studies is discussed from the perspective of an approach and field of study for creating knowledge and facilitating understanding. This ability of futures studies is explored further to show how it can address some of the challenges which arise from innovation. The study further explores the ability of causal layered analysis, a foresight technique; not only to address some of the innovation challenges but to enrich the innovation process by providing depth and breadth in the analysis of the problem through creating an understanding of the deeply rooted drivers and viewing the problem from different perspectives, effectively expanding the solution set and creating a platform for identifying latent needs and opportunities. Causal layered analysis is applied to three of the top thirty innovations of the last three decades, testing the hypothesis that successful innovation transcends and addresses needs at the deeper layers. It is shown that innovations which are able to address needs in the deeper levels get embedded in our daily lives and as a result become more enduring. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsings projek beoog om te wys dat toekomsstudies en die tegnieke in die studie veld, spesifiek “causal layered analysis”, waarde kan toevoeg tot die innoverings probeerslae van organisasies. Die studie bespreek die belangrikheid van innovering vir organisasies en wys dat innovasie diep gewortel is in die kennis ekonomie. Die aard van innovering word ondersoek sowel as die verskillende tipes en grade daarvan. ‘n Ge-integreerde innoverings model word voorgestel en word gebruik om van die belangrike uitdagings in die innovasie proses te identifiseer. Daar word uitgebrei op hierdie uitdagings deur in ag te neem die benadering wat organisasies neem tot innovering asook die uitdagings wat voortspruit uit die onderliggende kultuur in die organisasie. Die aard van toekomstudies word bespreek uit die oogpunt van die benadering van die studie veld om kennis te skep en begrip te bewerkstellig. Die vermoë van toekomstudies om die uitdagings wat deur innovasie onstaan word verder ondersoek. Die studie ondersoek ook die vermoë van “causal layered analysis”, as ‘n toekoms tegniek, nie net om die innoverings uitdagings te adresseer nie, maar ook deur die verryking van die innoverings proses waardeur begrip geskep word. Begrip volg deur die diepte en wydheid van die analise van die probleem, asook deur die probleem vanuit verskeie oogpunte te benader. Hierdeur word daar meer moontlike oplossings blootgelê en word daar geleentheid geskep om nuwe geleenthede te identifiseer. “Causal layered analysis” word ook toegepas op drie van die top dertig innovasies van die laaste drie dekades om die hipotese te toets dat suksesvolle innovasies, behoeftes in al die lae aanspreek, spesifiek in die diepliggende areas. Die studie wys dat innovasies wat behoeftes in die diepliggende areas aanspreek deel word van ons alledaagse lewe en sodoende meer langdurig word.

How do we help students to integrate their tertiary education with their development as " wise" global citizens and professionals? The study engages with this question through exploring the use of Reflective Journals as a central and integrating strategy for learning and assessment for a socially and culturally diverse group of students in a large, compulsory, first year, one-semester Engineering unit [BNB007: Professional Studies] between 2000 and 2004. The study supports the hypothesis that Reflective Journals can be an effective strategy for improving the often-criticised poor communication skills of domestic and international students in technical fields. For many students, the process of reflection also became a means of learning about their learning. Attitude surveys administered to students pre and post the teaching intervention in the years 2000-2002 showed positive changes in anticipated directions that encouraged further research. If attitude change was occurring in BNB007, what was the nature of the change? The research showed that at a deeper, longer term and more complex level, this new self-awareness supported many students to develop the kind of futures thinking and social learning " that will be necessary to navigate the transition to sustainable futures" (Raskin et al., 2002). The study contributes to the literature and to methodology through the first complementary use of two new methodologies, Sense-Making and Causal Layered Analysis. Thirty in-depth Sense-Making based interviews, including four with staff, indicate that 'meta-reflection' and transformative learning did take place. Expressing these qualities in the discourse of internationalisation as " global portability" or even " global competence" is unsatisfactory because these popular terms do not embody the qualities graduates need to create sustainable futures. As currently used, they mainly serve a market-dominated version of globalisation and its allied internationalisation-as-profit discourse. Raskin et al proposed a more appropriate term, " sustainability professionals", emerging from a preferred, valuesbased globalisation inspired by a vision of humane, sustainable futures that see " rights assured, nature treasured, culture rich and the human spirit animate" (p.70). This more challenging concept of a graduate for the 21st century is expressed here through the term Globo sapiens, whose qualities are identified in this study. Such professionals are willing to think critically and to assume responsibility for their impact on communities and the planet. This is the critical-futures oriented, transformative and therefore radical notion connoted by the title Towards Globo sapiens. This research identified some of the terrain and challenges of a post-development vision in a vocational area of teaching in Higher Education. It explained how particular students resisted or reconstructed their worlds when challenged at fundamental levels, but within a supportive atmosphere. Thus the study contributes to what educators might need to know, be and do, in order to teach effectively for the transformations urged by Sustainability Scientists, among others, and upon which any sustainable alternative futures depend. The study is underpinned by transdisciplinary syntheses that help to illuminate each area in new and fruitful ways.