The difficult construction of horizontalities: power relations in collaborative multi-actor social-ecological systems management

Failing to consider power relations in social processes can represent a major barrier for effective transformation toward sustainable and just futures. Although this has been widely acknowledged in the scientific literature, there are few attempts to unravel the role of power relations for social-ecological systems management. We present an analysis of the different types of power relations and their effects in a multi-actor network that stewards a protected area in Xalapa, Mexico. Moreover, we explored how different participatory research methods can impact these power relations. Following the Foucault concept of micro-power and using a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodological approach, we classified power relations according to epistemic, ethical, and political dimensions. We identified a complex fabric of subtle power relations that reproduce socio-political patterns and limit the participation of certain types of actors, weakening the multi-actor organization and its potential for transformation. We found that constructing horizontalities requires not only a consensual intention but also collaborative practices capable of dismantling power relations and creating common grounds for multiple types of encounters between diverse actors. We conclude that power relations constitute a central element of multi-actor organizations and, when adequately addressed, contain great potential for radical transformation.