What Is Coevolution?
When the disability community tries to change a system, we almost always use some kind of Coevolutionary Strategy. Think of the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. One side would make a move, the other would respond. Back and forth the two governments would go. Advocacy change strategies and political change strategies are largely coevolutionary.
Coevolution is also described as the "Red Queen" effect, from Alice in Wonderland. In Coevolution, as sometimes in Wonderland, you have to run faster and faster just to keep up.
Generally, systems engaged in coevolution become better and better at their "side" of the competition, and they tend to become more complex over time. Eventually, Coevolution slows and stops when one party reaches some resource limit. The Soviet Union ran out of money for the fight, and collapsed.
Predator-Prey relationships have a coevolutionary element. So do ongoing competitions of all types. You can think of Coevolution as a game. Each side tries through its responses to win the current phase of the game. Note, importantly, that it is not enough to win one phase of the game. Both the side that wins and the side that loses a phase must be able to play another "game" or Coevolution ends.
Next: Problems with Using a Coevolutionary Strategy