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This is a book about encounters—literally and figuratively speaking. In one way or another, the nine chapters are about encounters among the authors and collaborators and their meetings with rural women and men, and with women and men working for local and national governments and for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in a number of South Asian and South-East Asian countries. Some of the authors and collaborators are themselves government or NGO employees. The three synthesis chapters and six case studies are also about attempts to create interfaces between the natural sciences and the social sciences, between more descriptive social science research and more transformative participatory research, and between locally situated research 'projects' and wider socioeconomic and sociopolitical structures and processes.

What all contributors have in common is an interest in a better understanding of the societies in which we work and live. In particular, we are concerned about the everyday social differences and inequalities that exist, and how they are changed over time (the process of social differentiation). To varying degrees and in different ways, we also share a desire to look for and explore opportunities for social transformation. Based on our very diverse everyday practices and experiences—encompassing more than the joint research project that this book is about—we have come to understand that this is easier said than done. Becoming involved in social transformation means engaging with politics and power or knowledge struggles; almost by definition, it implies dealing with setbacks and challenges.

The six case studies forming the 'Learning Studies' project describe and reflect on a diversity of efforts to integrate social and gender analysis into natural resource management research. They point to the importance of 'local' history and context, and to the increasingly inter-locking 'local' and 'supra-local' forces. In addition, the six cases allow a comparative analysis and the discovery of a number of commonalities.

The cases recognize the steps that researchers are already taking in implementing social and gender analysis research, including questions of class, caste and ethnicity in natural resource management. They all represent 'learning stories'—attempts to deepen our understanding and strengthen our practice.

Through cross-regional exchanges, the six research teams and collaborators supported and encouraged each other to learn along the way, trying to be both reflexive about practice and critical about theories and concepts. The selected cases illustrate 'on-the-ground' examples of challenges and opportunities, successes and disappointments in integrating social and gender analysis. They also highlight a number of methods used and adapted in the very diverse contexts of the Asian region.

The studies make a start at reflecting on what has been done and is being done in organizations in terms of capacity development for the integration of social and gender analysis. They also look at how this has been done and is being done, and the enabling and constraining factors that are affecting the process. In addition, they ask how best to support these capacity development efforts in the future.

The authors and contributors share the assessment that the series of encounters enabled by this initiative over a period of more than three years has made a difference. As the chapters will tell, they have indeed deepened our sociological knowledge and strengthened our (action) research skills. They also allowed the building of friendships.

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