González-Rivadeneira and colleagues renew the theory of boundary objects by placing conflict and subjectivity at the centre of their formation. Working through a research-action project on pesticide-free territories in the Ecuadorian Andes, they argue that boundary objects are not stable devices waiting to be discovered but dynamic constructs continuously negotiated through local knowledge systems, cultural norms and governance relations. Their most productive concept is boundary entanglement: collaboration does not simply cross pre-existing boundaries but generates new combinations, frictions and dependencies among actors. Operational breakdowns and conflicts are therefore treated as diagnostic events rather than failures, because they expose hidden power relations and epistemic boundaries. Methodologically, interviews, participant observation and WhatsApp communication are mobilised to trace these negotiations. The study bridges classic boundary-object theory, territorial research and critical sustainability practice. Its contribution is to move coordination away from consensus and towards a model in which disagreement can reveal the actual structure of collective action.
