Unpacking social-ecological transformations

Conceptual, ethical and methodological insights

Bibliographic Data

ID4189166
AuthorsSameer H Shah (0000-0002-1309-0039, University of British Columbia, corresponding author), Lucy Rodina (0000-0001-5470-9005, University of British Columbia), Jenn M Burt (0000-0001-5536-4694, Simon Fraser University), Edward J Gregr (0000-0002-0693-9532, University of British Columbia), Mollie Chapman (0000-0003-1399-2144, University of British Columbia), Steve Williams (0000-0002-6334-9221, University of British Columbia), Nicole J Wilson (0000-0002-9119-1687, University of British Columbia), Gary Mcdowell (0000-0003-2302-2598, University of British Columbia), Graham Mcdowell
Year2018
Volume5
Issue3
Pages250-265
Publication date2018-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Anthropocene Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2053-0196 • E-ISSN: 2053-020X
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/2053019618817928
OpenAlexW2904914354
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited98

Social-ecological systems contribute to environmental change and, in turn, face its corresponding shocks and disturbances. As scholarship on resilience and social-ecological transformations grows, researchers from various disciplines continue to debate how major transitions and environmental change can be anticipated, studied or guided towards just and ethical outcomes. To this end, we apply an interdisciplinary perspective to describing key aspects of social-ecological transformations scholarship around three pressing questions: (1) What features or criteria distinguish transformations from other forms of change?; (2) What are the political, ethical, and normative concerns associated with transformations?; and (3) How can we better track, measure, and evaluate such transformations? Our insights, which emerged from a workshop with early-career interdisciplinary scholars, highlight questions of justice, equity and ethics in transformations research, and suggest that more precise indicators of change, a more explicit understanding of system boundaries, and a dual focus on process and outcomes will help advance our understanding of the social-ecological implications of transformations. We hope that articulating these challenges and recommendations in an interdisciplinary framing will help further the conversation on these critical topics and provide an accessible perspective of key considerations for multidisciplinary scholarship on social-ecological transformations

Engineering ethics · Environmental ethics · Multidisciplinary approach · Normative · Political science · Scholarship · Social science · Sociology · Ecosystem dynamics and resilience · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance · Zoonotic diseases and public health · Ecology

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