Politics of the coastal professional

Abstract

The consequences of a disruptive society in the 21st century characterised by the rise of politics, distrust of institutions, divided societies, scepticism, fake news, extremism and terrorism, where crises and disjuncture are commonplace implicates the coastal professional. This opinion piece seeks to invite critical minds to question the implications of the contemporary political landscape on the coastal professional as understood as a collective term that acknowledges a hierarchy of diverse professions that have established coastal management. A point of departure could be a critical approach that examines the power and knowledge relations that circumscribe even the most well-intentioned efforts to innovate coastal management. This approach considers the core relationships between policy and practice, power and politics, and knowledge and expertise. A key argument grounds the idea that without a conversation that delves into the politics of our work as coastal professionals, we limit our potential contribution to the future of coastal management.