TY - JOUR
T1 - Sociology for sustainability science
AU - Longo, Stefano
AU - Isgren, Ellinor
AU - Clark, Brett
AU - Jorgenson, Andrew K.
AU - Jerneck, Anne
AU - Olsson, Lennart
AU - Kelly, Orla M.
AU - Harnesk, David
AU - York, Richard
PY - 2021/10/27
Y1 - 2021/10/27
N2 - Sociological insights are often underutilized in sustainability science. To further strengthen its commitment to interdisciplinary problem-driven, solutions-oriented research, sustainability science can better incorporate fundamental sociological conceptions into its core. We highlight four aspects of sociological thought that we consider crucial for advancing sustainability science research: (1) social construction and critical realism, (2) structure and agency, (3) historical specificity, and (4) collective action. We draw on examples from sociology to support a dynamic understanding of how social relations interact with the bio-geo-physical world. This necessary integration of sociological insights, we argue, is critical to generate comprehensive assessments of the causes and consequences of human-induced environmental change, and tend to be overlooked or oversimplified within the field of sustainability science. Beyond that, it can stimulate the development and implementation of viable solutions to sustainability challenges.
AB - Sociological insights are often underutilized in sustainability science. To further strengthen its commitment to interdisciplinary problem-driven, solutions-oriented research, sustainability science can better incorporate fundamental sociological conceptions into its core. We highlight four aspects of sociological thought that we consider crucial for advancing sustainability science research: (1) social construction and critical realism, (2) structure and agency, (3) historical specificity, and (4) collective action. We draw on examples from sociology to support a dynamic understanding of how social relations interact with the bio-geo-physical world. This necessary integration of sociological insights, we argue, is critical to generate comprehensive assessments of the causes and consequences of human-induced environmental change, and tend to be overlooked or oversimplified within the field of sustainability science. Beyond that, it can stimulate the development and implementation of viable solutions to sustainability challenges.
KW - Critical realism
KW - Social structure
KW - Collective action
KW - Social relations
KW - Environmental sociology
U2 - 10.1007/s43621-021-00056-5
DO - 10.1007/s43621-021-00056-5
M3 - Article
SN - 2662-9984
VL - 2
JO - Discover Sustainability
JF - Discover Sustainability
M1 - 47
ER -