Understanding and acting upon a creeping crisis

Abstract

The notion of a creeping crisis is a conceptual one, a heuristic device useful for helping to uncover hidden dimensions of today's more pressing-some might say existential-societal problems. In this introductory chapter, we present our definition of creeping crisis and unpack the analytical dimensions of the concept. We review what existing research does and does not tell us about those dimensions. The chapter concludes by highlighting key research questions and outlining how the case studies in the book help to answer those questions.