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Social Ecology as Critical, Transdisciplinary Science—Conceptualizing, Analyzing and Shaping Societal Relations to Nature

Author

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  • Diana Hummel

    (ISOE—Institute for Social-Ecological Research, 60486 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
    Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany)

  • Thomas Jahn

    (ISOE—Institute for Social-Ecological Research, 60486 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
    Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany)

  • Florian Keil

    (keep it balanced, 10999 Berlin, Germany)

  • Stefan Liehr

    (ISOE—Institute for Social-Ecological Research, 60486 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
    Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany)

  • Immanuel Stieß

    (ISOE—Institute for Social-Ecological Research, 60486 Frankfurt/Main, Germany)

Abstract

The sustainability discourse is, essentially, centered on the question of how complex relations between nature and society can be conceptualized, analyzed and shaped. In this paper, we present a specific interpretation of social ecology as an attempt to address this question. For this purpose, we establish Frankfurt Social Ecology (FSE) as a formal research program, which is based on the concept of societal relations to nature (SRN). The basic idea of the SRN concept is to put the modern distinction between nature and society at the start of a critical analysis. Such an analysis, we argue, has to focus on the interplay between what we call patterns and modes of regulation. Whereas patterns of regulation stand for the material and symbolic aspects of the organization of the individual and societal satisfaction of needs, modes of regulation mirror the norms and power structures of a society. Using an approach that is based on reformulating social-ecological systems as provisioning systems, we show how this interplay can be analyzed empirically. Finally, we propose critical transdisciplinarity as the research mode of choice of FSE. To conclude, we discuss how FSE can contribute to the development of a research program for a sustainable Anthropocene.

Suggested Citation

  • Diana Hummel & Thomas Jahn & Florian Keil & Stefan Liehr & Immanuel Stieß, 2017. "Social Ecology as Critical, Transdisciplinary Science—Conceptualizing, Analyzing and Shaping Societal Relations to Nature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:7:p:1050-:d:102634
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Plank, Christina & Liehr, Stefan & Hummel, Diana & Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Haberl, Helmut & Görg, Christoph, 2021. "Doing more with less: Provisioning systems and the transformation of the stock-flow-service nexus," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
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    7. Christoph Görg & Ulrich Brand & Helmut Haberl & Diana Hummel & Thomas Jahn & Stefan Liehr, 2017. "Challenges for Social-Ecological Transformations: Contributions from Social and Political Ecology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-21, June.
    8. Marion Mehring & Uwe Zajonz & Diana Hummel, 2017. "Social-Ecological Dynamics of Ecosystem Services: Livelihoods and the Functional Relation between Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand—Evidence from Socotra Archipelago, Yemen and the Sahel Region, Wes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-15, June.
    9. Zeug, Walther & Bezama, Alberto & Thrän, Daniela, 2020. "Towards a holistic and integrated Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of the bioeconomy: Background on concepts, visions and measurements," UFZ Discussion Papers 7/2020, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    10. Beate Friedrich, 2019. "Pathways of Conflict: Lessons from the Cultivation of MON810 in Germany in 2005–2008 for Emerging Conflicts over New Breeding Techniques," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.

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