| A majority of the climate change literature suggests the issue is best understood in scientific and technical terms, meaning that only experts with appropriate technical knowledge are suitably informed to understand the data and determine appropriate responses. Academics and experts who characterize climate change as a problem largely impacting roads, infrastructure, the economy, and other inanimate objects reify climate change as a technical problem. This reification can marginalize the vulnerabilities of people, livelihoods, and communities.;Therefore, finding new pathways that expand our understanding of social vulnerability in the context of climate change is critical to improving policies and research practices. To do so requires using an extended community of knowledge beyond that of the technical experts. The additional knowledge would include concerned citizens with vested interests that might otherwise go un-discussed. By including participants external to the scientific community, a more well-rounded and inclusive discussion of climate change could be had, and decisions regarding what to address and how to address it would be created thereby addressing social vulnerability.;This dissertation is comprised of three case studies that use multiple methodologies to explore elements of vulnerability to climate change. The first study used an online survey to quantitatively explore whether personal knowledge about climate change, political ideology, or a perceived threat from climate change affected the willingness of North Carolina coastal officials to take adaptive action. The study also investigated what official's feel are the top threats from climate change to their communities. The second study utilized photovoice to qualitatively explore how small family farmers in Chatham County, NC are experiencing climate change. The third study used a rapid assessment and the Trinity of Voice (ToV) model of public participation to explore participatory processes from the point of view of water committee members in Hamakuya, South Africa to better understand water resource management practices in the context of climate change.;Results from the first study indicated that coastal officials were willing to take adaptive action based on a perceived threat from climate change, more so than solely based on their personal knowledge about climate change or their political ideology. Potential flooding, erosion, and sea level rise were frequently cited concerns of coastal officials. Findings from the second study suggested that small family farmers in Chatham County were experiencing changes in precipitation patterns, detecting invasive species, and implementing adaptive behaviors such as agrivoltism and polyculture to bolster the resilience of their farms and strengthen their connections with the local community. Findings from the third study signaled a well-functioning and deferential system of traditional governance. Additional analysis indicated that headmen played an integral role in water resource management by acting as intermediaries between chiefs, water committees, and villagers. Although findings specific to the elements of access, standing, and influence associated with (ToV) suggested uncertainty about the functional authority of water committees, data revealed mutual respect and standing between villagers and water committee members, and an ability of villagers to influence local rules in the participatory process.;Expanding our examination of climate change beyond technical assessments can yield important insights. Findings from the first study question whether coastal officials are exercising leadership in allowing for adequate time to prepare for the expected impacts from climate change or fully understand the risks. The second study illustrated how these farmers are fostering the long-term viability of the livelihood that they see as a creative act through the careful stewardship of the local ecosystem. From the third study we learned that expanding the (ToV) model to include an element of deference could increase its relevance to more accurately reflect the social and cultural norms in Hamakuya. |
